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1900 - present day
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1883
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“Heavy rain all day and night. The Kerikeri River higher than any have seen it. Lowlands covered with water, which is rushing through the oat paddock, washing away fences. The Undine’s moorings broken – found a distance downstream with rudder shattered.” Ferrying gum to Russel or returning with stores was
not without its drama. On one occasion four sacks of gum (valued at 20 pounds) were stolen from a wagon, which had been parked overnight on the beach. The robbery was reported to the constabulary. They took measurements of the impression left in the sand by a board, which had been drawn alongside the wagon and offered a reward of £3 for information leading to the apprehension of the culprits. Kate Cleave later referred sadly to the loss overboard of one of four sacks of gorse seed which was to be growen for fencing. She was jubilant that three sacks had been saved. (From ‘Women of Kerikeri’ published 1994 by Kerikeri Business & Professional Women).
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1846
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Richard Kemp is recorded as taking gum to Auckland to try to find a market and James Kemp was sending a considerable amount of gum from the Stone Store in the 1850s. As the 1880s progressed into depression years, people from all walks of life and from a variety of nations came to the gumfields to seek a livelihood. Arriving in Kerikeri by boat, the would be digger was fitted out at the Store. All over the north could be seen the camps of gumdiggers.
(From ‘Kerikeri Heritage of Dreams’ by Nancy Pickmere – Northland Historical Publications Society).
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1842
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New Zealand’s first pastoral show was held at Waimate North.
1840
January 29: Hobson arrives in the Bay of Islands.
February 6: Hone Heke is the first to sign the Treaty of Waitangi at Bay of Islands.
May 21: Hobson proclaims British sovereignty over New Zealand.
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1838
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Charlotte Kemp was 48 and had given birth to the last of her nine surviving children. James had purchased large areas of land in the area and that, combined with Charlotte’s health problems, enabled them to stay where they were, despite the fact that James was the only missionary left at Kerikeri. Charlotte died in 1860 aged 70. The mission house is now known as
the Kemp House, the oldest existing building in New Zealand; the lamp in the front window shines today, a lasting tribute to an historic family. (‘Women of Kerikeri 1994’ by Kerikeri Business & Professional Women).
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1830
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The first road in New Zealand between the new communities still follows much the same route today. It runs from Kerikeri out past the local airport and turns left at the next crossroads to lead to Waimate North. But much of what is now open country used to be in kauri and other bush. The road then led initially only to the first inland Anglican mission founded in 1831. Today it is a byway. The original 24km cart road was a necessity for transporting supplies to Te Waimate – as it was then called – first for the building and then the development of the mission.
(From ‘Historic Trails of the Far North’ by E V Sale 1981)
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1824
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The Kemp family waited on the shore for the cutter, Charlotte, 5 months pregnant, with 3 year old Henry at her skirs and baby Elizabeth of 13 months in her arms, was about to welcome another woman to the station. There were other women there of course, bu the arrival of the Clarke family was of special importance, for George Clark and his wife and little son came from the same town, Wymondham in Sussex, and were long-time friends. The two women cried together for joy. Little Elizabeth hid her head in her mother’s shoulder while the two small boys eyed each other. The earlier friendship was cemented into one of life-long duration and, many years later, ‘Three Clarkes married three Kemps’. (From ‘Women of the North’ by Jane Wordsworth 1981 Collins).
Mrs Henry WILLIAMS recorded in her Journal on April 15th, 1824 …”Henry on Saturday goes to Kiddeekiddee to open the new Chapel. Mr and Mrs CLARKE are there”.
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1820
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It was at Kerikeri that Reverend John Butler carried out the first ploughing in New Zealand. He used bullocks brought for hauling timber by a British naval vessel, the ‘Dromedary’. (From ‘The Story of the Bay of Islands Maritime & Historic Park’ Dept of Lands and Survey).
Earliest Known Letter From NZ Sold 2006. A letter thought to be one of the earliest sent from New Zealand still in existence has been sold at auction in London for almost $16,000. The dispatch from blacksmith-turned-missionary, James Kemp, was carried from Kerikeri in a whaling ship and then posted in London to a Norfolk lawyer. Dated February the 26th, 1820, it was bought by an anonymous private bidder. The letter was written shortly after James Kemp and his wife Charlotte arrived in Kerikeri to start his ministry. Mr Kemp describes the health of other missionaries and gives an account of so-called "native" activity, including a bloody dispute between two Maori chiefs over potato thefts.
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1819
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“I considered this district the most promising for a new settlement of any I had met with in New Zealand, the soil being rich, the land pretty level, free from timber, easy to work with the plough and bounded by a fine, fresh-water river…” (Samuel Marsden)
The few houses and buildings at the original settlement (Oihi in Rangihoua Bay) were stretched to their limits and it was difficult to find room for the people who came with Mr Marsden and Mr Butler let alone their goods, chattels, building materials, plant and equipment. It would take several months before the new arrivals with their families could move on to the new mission station planned for Kerikeri. Thomas Hansen took a very active part in the preparations for establishing the new station opposite Hongi’s pa, a very strongly protected fort. About 2000 Maori lived on this side of the river. All the tradespeople and their materials had to be taken by water up a long, narrow inlet for about 20 kms to the new site at Kerikeri. Already they were in trouble because they were short of ships’ boats, most of which had been lost in a winter storm immediately after arrival on 12 August. There was only one whale boat remaining so Mr Marsden decided that a punt would have to be built for the purpose of landing the heavy stores and materials from the General Gates and then transporting some of them up the inlet. William Hall was able to call on his native sawyers for help and by the end of August they had sawn nearly 1500 ft of timber and all hands were employed in working on the 24 ft punt. It was launched by the middle of September, which accelerated progress at Kerikeri. (From ‘In the Wake of the Active’ by Kath Hansen 1994).
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