Guide Kate

Kate Middlemass was born on 8 November 1824. Her mother was Rangitukia of Whakatane and her father a European named Middlemass (Maori Land Court, 2002). 

She was a guide at Te Wairoa around the same time as Sophia. She was described by James Froude as ‘…a big, half-caste, bony woman of forty, with a form like an Amazon’s, features like a prize-fighter’s, an arm that would fell an ox, stone deaf and her war whoop might be heard for a mile (Blainey, 1985)'.

Guide Kate, Guide Sophia and Ngareta at Hinemihi, Te Wairoa circa. 1861-1881.
Rotorua Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa (CP-2396)

Each tourist group that arrived in Te Wairoa were able to pick their guide that would show them the sights. The night before they departed to see the Terraces, Froude’s group chose Kate. 

James Anthony Froude
Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18941027-400-1

She may not have been much of a conversationalist as Froude remarked that, 'She would show us all that was to be seen, and we should escape conversation. Froude’s description of Kate the next morning was more flattering, she looked picturesque, with a grey, tight-fitting, woolen bodice, a scarlet shirt, a light scarf about her neck, and a grey billycock hat with pink riband. (Blainey, 1985)'. Froude's remark on Kate's conversation may have been due to the fact that she also had a headache on that particular day and was a little out of sorts.

Kate native guide to Whakarewarewa
Alexander Turnbull Library, Martin Album, PAI-o-334

                                                            

Apart from being known as a skilled and experienced guide, Kate was well-known for saving the life of a Mr Bird of Te Puke.

This is what the canoes would have looked like at the time Kate Mr Bird's life.

Pink Terraces, Maori group and waka, at Rotomahana. Photograph taken prior
to the 1886 Tarawera eruption, circa late 1870s to early 1880s.
Alexander Turnbull Library, 1/2-077560-F

The incident took place on Saturday, 21 February 1882, on Lake Rotomahana. Stafford (1986) describes the incident, 'a group had left Te Wairoa to visit the terraces. A little after mid-day they left the White Terrace in a canoe to cross Lake Rotomahana and visit the Pink Terrace. The canoe wasn’t sturdy and in it were 6 visitors. Three of the visitors were from Auckland, one from the South Island, a surveyor and Mr Bird from Te Puke. Also on board were Kate and two paddlers. As the canoe neared the lake centre a sudden squall caught them, a wave broke aboard causing the vessel to fill and capsize. Mr Bird disappeared under the water and as soon as Kate was aware of this she dived for him. She dived once more before she found and bought Mr Bird to the surface. The capsized canoe had been seen and another canoe was soon heading towards them. Kate swam to this canoe and got Mr Bird safely aboard. She returned to where the capsized canoe had been righted and assisted others. The group eventually made the shore near the Pink Terrace and were soon soaking in one of the hot baths. Their clothes were dried and shelter given for the night by local Māori. The next day the group returned to Te Wairoa'. 

Guide Kate wearing her bronze medal
Rotorua Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa 

Kate’s bravery was recognised by the Royal Humane Society and she was awarded the bronze medal. The depth of the water in Lake Rotomahana at that time was about four fathoms (approx. 7 metres).

Scanned pages from the case book where Kate's bravery is recorded.
Royal Humane Society, Case Book, p77, Case Number 21873

The medal was presented to Kate in June of 1883 by Mr H. W. Brabant, the resident magistrate.

H. W. Brabant, Magistrate
Tauranga City Libraries Image 03-500

The following newspapers covered Kate's brave rescue of Mr Bird and the presentation of her medal.

 

Newspaper coverage of the day that Kate was presented with her medal
Papers Past, Bay of Plenty Times 7 June 1883, p2.

Guide Kate's brave deed covered in the New Zealand Herald
Papers Past, New Zealand Herald 27 January 1882, p5.

Post written by Ani Sharland with thanks to Rotorua Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa Rotorua Museum, Tauranga City Libraries, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library and The Royal Humane Society UK. 

References (available from the Heritage Collections, Rotorua Library)

Blainey, G. (1985). A bath for Gods (Eds.), Travellers’ tales of early Australia & New Zealand: Oceania the tempestuous voyage of J. A. Froude 1884 & 1885. Methuen Haynes.

Māori Land Court. (1916). Māori Land Court Minute Book: Mokoia no. 3. Māori Land Court.

Stafford, D. M. (1986). The Founding Years of Rotorua: A history of events to 1900. Ray Richards. 

Te Wairoa Village

This post is about the Village of Te Wairoa (now the Buried Village). Te Wairoa was located in Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. This story of Te Wairoa is told from the perspective of the visitors to Te Wairoa. 

Chapman's map of the Bay of Plenty and Lake District 1872,
Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection

To get to the village of Te Wairoa in 1880, Sir William Herries said that you “travelled along the side of Lake Tikitapu and past the head of another larger one, then into the little village of Wairoa, about 12 miles from Ohinemutu (Don Stafford File)”. If you ‘took a buggy it would take about an hour and a half and cost 10s each way (Bay of Plenty Times, 27 December 1881)’. This was considered a quick and inexpensive trip at the time.

Te Wairoa before the eruption,
Photo from The Buried Village,Rotorua, New Zealand

Thorpe Talbot described the settlement of Te Wairoa as consisting “almost entirely of Māoris. Scarce half-a-dozen white families live at Wairoa (Talbot 1882)”. Alfred Warbrick described the village of Te Wairoa as ‘a pretty place in the period before the great eruption. There were houses of Māori and Pakeha type scattered over a considerable area between the outlet of Rotokakahi Lake and the edge of the high land overlooking Lake Tarawera. A carved house, “Hinemihi” stood by the wayside near the entrance to the principal part of the settlement, where the two hotels and the store were situated. On a commanding terrace called Te Mu, just above the village, was the Māori mission church, with a stained-glass window at the end overlooking the lake. 

Old Mission Church, Wairoa, 1880s, New Zealand, by Charles Spencer.
Te Papa (O.006936)

Cultivations extended over the level ground adjoining the lake and the gentler slopes, and there were many fertile fruit orchards. In the early years much wheat was grown on the flat, and it was ground in a small mill driven by a water-wheel in the stream which flowed out of Rotor-Kakahi (Warbrick 1934)’. “Wairoa is hemmed in by mountains. Moerangi lifts itself in lofty grandeur over against Rotokakahi, Tokinihau (big hill) rears his majestic head opposite, and the ranges, of which these mountains are a part extend clear down to Tarawera (Talbot 1882)”.

Tarawera Lake and Mountain from Wairoa Mission Station
before the Eruption, circa 1880, Tarawera by Charles Spencer.
Te Papa (0.002095)

Te Wairoa was known as a staging place where visitors would leave to see the Pink and White Terraces. There were a couple of hotels including the Terrace Hotel. 

The Terrace Hotel after the 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption. Image courtesy 
 of the Buried Village, Rotorua, New Zealand

Thorpe Talbot described the Terrace Hotel as an 'edifice that was by no means imposing but very pleasant and comfortable and ably managed by Mr and Mrs Moncrieff. He adds that the ‘pretty church and the mission station, is in the midst of a beautiful plantation, on the top of a hill overlooking Tarawera and the site is admirable, the view superb. There is a waterfall well worth more than one visit, in the surrounding bush (Talbot 1882)'. 

Te Wairoa waterfall, circa 1900, New Zealand,
by Robert Marsh. Te Papa (O.044227)

In a Bay of Plenty Times article, 1881 The Terrace Hotel was a temperance hotel. A temperance society was set up by ‘Messr’s, Snow, Davis, Hazard and others and 150 natives signed the pledge (Bay of Plenty Times 18 September 1880)’. In another article another hotel was mentioned, "…..in addition to the Terrace Hotel, at Wairoa there is another house, called the Rotomahana, owned by Macrae; but the disadvantage of going there is that you cannot procure the services of Sophia, who is the guide of guides to the Terraces (Bay of Plenty Times, 27 December 1881)”. However, The Rotomahana Hotel is, “…a very comfortable little hostelry…(Don Stafford File)”. 

Rotomahana Hotel, Te Wairoa. Ref: PA7-60-02. Alexander Turnbull Library,
Wellington, New Zealand.

Alfred Warbrick described an annual event held in Te Wairoa. Māori would catch wild duck, torea and pukeko. Special permission was given to hunt at the end of February. No guns were allowed. Snares were set at night or some were caught by “hand with the help of specially trained dogs”. The hunt lasted for a few days and nights and not a shot was fired. “The catches were cooked in many steam holed and hot springs along the lake edge, and were rendered down in their own fat and potted in bark containers and other receptacles, in which they would keep for many months. Then the lake would be closed for another year (Warbrick, 1934)”. 

South Island Pied Oystercatcher/Torea, Haematopus finschi,
collected Canterbury, New Zealand. CC BY 4.0. Te Papa 
(OR.000646)

The Tarawera eruption of 10 June, 1886 decimated the village of Te Wairoa, the people of Tuhourangi were displaced and many died from falling debris. “The majority of the buildings were destroyed including 2 hotels, 2 stores, a school, a blacksmith and bakery. All of the village houses were destroyed. Guide Sophia’s house survived and gave shelter to about 60 people during the eruption (Don Stafford File)”. Some of the people of Tuhourangi were re-settled in Ohinemutu and Whakarewarewa. 

Te Wairoa after eruption June 10, 1886, 1901-1913, Dunedin, by Muir & 
Moodie studio, Burton Brothers studio, Frederick Muir. Te Papa (LS.004508)

Te Wairoa, McRae's Hotel, Sophia's whare and Terrace Hotel after the eruption, 

1886, Tarawera, by George Valentine. Purchased 2007. Te Papa (O.030859)

This post was written by Ani. With thanks to newspaper articles from Papers Past, images from Te Papa Tongarewa and The National Library of New Zealand. Material for this post was from The Rotorua Library Heritage Collections and the Don Stafford Files. Thank you to the staff at The Buried Village, for allowing me to visit and letting me wander through the history of Te Wairoa.