Projects Review
Northern Suburbs Heritage Trail
Early in the formation of the Society it recommended the reprinting of the WCC’s heritage trail booklet about the Northern Suburbs as this was then out of print. It was also recommended that it should be reproduced in two parts :
• for Kaiwharawhara / Ngaio, Khandallah, etc
• for Johnsonville, Grenada, Middleton Road and Tawa
During 2002 the Society was approached by the Wellington City Council for input regarding the re-editing and incorporation of additional material for the new booklet which was being planned for reissue and now needed information about Tawa as the most northerly suburb of Wellington. The Society was able to provide considerable input and through 2003 contributed to the discussion with Council of this publication for the Tawa areas.
Towards the end of 2004 the Society celebrated the final issue of this publication, by Wellington City Council. It now comprises two booklets titled ; Part 1 “Around the Kaiwharawhara Basin”, and Part 2 “Following the Old Porirua Road”, with Part 2 including the Tawa features. We are delighted that the first of our objectives as a society has been achieved, and have thanked the City Council for their work in this matter.
Click here for the details of the Tawa heritage features included in this publication.
Tawa Information Boards
Early on the Society considered the need for the provision of a large display board on or near the Tawa Library suggesting a Northern and a Southern historical trail through Tawa. This concept is based upon the Heritage Trail Information Boards provided elsewhere in Wellington City; e.g. at Seton Nossiter Park regarding the Belmont Viaduct and that next to Twigland Garden Centre on Middleton Road regarding the Glenside area and the “Halfway House” still standing there. Tawa missed out on the original Heritage Information Board scheme undertaken by Wellington as it wasn't at that time part of Wellington City.
This concept was discussed with Barbara Fill, Heritage Officer for Wellington City Council, who was receptive to the idea in principle. During 2003 With the grateful assistance of Rod Clark through the drafting and planning stages the Society prepared a “mock up” of suggested material for this Board and this was provided to the Council’s Heritage section for the production of the final board deign and graphical layout.
Delay has occurred through 2004 as the Council considered the redesign of the style of their heritage information board scheme.
At our March 2005 meeting officers of the Council informed us of the plans to upgrade the area on the corner of the Main Road and Cambridge Street adjacent to the library. This upgrade includes the building of a tall lit structure which will contain maps and written information about the Heritage Trails we have proposed, as well as realignment of kerbing, new seating and lighting and some landscaping of this area. Construction was expected to be undertaken late 2005.
Other possible sites for the placement of a further information boards in Tawa have also been considered by the Society :
• At Tawa Cemetery to detail its origins as a gift of Edward Gibbon Wakefield; its site for a Church, and noting those buried there,
• In Grasslees Reserve, to draw attention to Elsdon Best; to the Best farm of Grasslees; and to the early agricultural practices of pioneer settlers,
• On the corner of the Main Road and Oxford Street, to draw attention to that area as the first “town centre” of Tawa with the General Store, Post Office, garage, Tawa School, first church, Leigh’s stockade and “town hall” all situated nearby,
• On the site of the first Tawa Railway Station on Duncan Street 100-200 metres north of the new roundabout at the Duncan Street / Taylor Terrace / Tawa Terrace intersection. This would draw attention to the Wellington and Manawatu Railway through Tawa, the line of the old track, the 1937 railway deviation and its impact on Tawa.
• Outside the Linden Social Centre,
• Near the Bucket Tree / Takapu Station.
At each of these sites information could be given regarding adjacent or nearby sites of historical interest.
The installation of the information panels at the Tawa Library site is still awaited but some progress as been made with the information boards for Grasslees Reserve and the Tawa Cemetery during 2008.
Tawa Walking map
As part of the preparation of the Tawa Library Information Board the Society has proposed two possible historical trails through Tawa. Both will start at the Mervyn Kemp Library. The first walk will be a “Northern Circuit”, and the second a “Southern Circuit”. The proposed routes have been agreed with the Council Heritage Section. A map of these “Trails” has been prepared as part of the Information Board project and a version of these maps is available at Tawa Library thanks to our printer Porirua Print.
Old Porirua Road trail – footprint marker plaques.
The first significant post 1840 activity in the Tawa area was the construction of the Old Porirua Road. Cleared and built during the 1840s and supported by stockades (Middleton’s, Leigh’s and Elliott’s), it linked Wellington and the small settlements of Porirua and Paremata on the Porirua Harbour. The road eventually evolved into the old Centennial Highway (State Highway 1). The Old Porirua Road can be traced through Tawa along some streets (Middleton Road, Willowbank Road, Boscobel Lane, Main Road, Oxford Street, Grasslees Reserve, Main Road again, Duncan Park, across Linden Avenue to Linden West Park and back to the Main Road).
At an early stage in its formation the Society considered ways in which this road, so important to the development of Tawa, could be appropriately marked. The outcome is the Old Porirua Road footprint marker trail project. This involves the placing of about 26 brass plaques set into concrete at appropriate spots along the route through Tawa, similar in concept to those marking the original waterfront through the Wellington CBD.
During 2003 the Society made application to the Pelorous Trust for a funding grant, and, to our delight they have granted us $3,500 towards this project. However, the approval process was slow as each spot needs to be carefully checked for cables, drainage and other essential bits of city infrastructure that may lurk hidden beneath the footpaths.
During 2004 a plan of the exact proposed locations for the plaques was prepared. This was provided to the various interested Council departments, and other utility service providers of water, drainage, electricity and telecommunication etc. in the vicinity (14 in all) in order that the required approvals to proceed with the laying of the plaques can be given.
Laying of the plaques was finally completed during early 2007. See here for an associated press article.
Tawa Cemetery
Early in 2004 we noted that Tawa Cemetery on the Main Road near Fyvie Avenue had a difficult and potentially dangerous access, and the perimeters in particular need a good clean up having become overgrown in places. This was brought to the attention of the Wellington City Council.
Later in 2004 the Council completed a project to install all weather access steps into the cemetery from the Main Road. It is hoped in the near future that some further improvements will be made to the entrance way pergola and the establishment of an Information Board to describe the background of this place, detailing it is a gift of Edward Gibbon Wakefield; its site for a Church, and noting those buried there.
Subsequent improvements sought by the Society and made by the WCC Parks Department during 2007-8 have included :
• Repairs to and painting of the front fence,
• Erection of a new fence on the southern boundary,
• Removal of noxious weeds and some small trees and regular mowing of the site.
The Society is still working with the Council with regards to :
• A proposed Information Board material and a structure to house this on the site,
• Identification of the correct location of the western boundary which, at some time in the past, has seen a retaining wall built (of rubber tyres) which both encroaches on the cemetery property, and on to some of the graves.
A booklet about those buried here and the gifting of the land is planned for 2009.
For a listing of known burials at Tawa Cemetery see here.
If you any information of interest regarded to any burial in the Tawa Cemetery please contact the webmaster at webmaster@tawahistory.wellington.net.nz.
Heritage register of significant buildings and sites
A subcommittee of the Society executive has been steadily gathering information and photographs on significant buildings and sites within Tawa and neighbouring areas. These include :
– old farm houses (the Nott’s, Greer’s, and Harrison’s Homesteads off Middleton Road, the Hyde’s and Woodman’s houses in Takapu Road, Brown’s House, Thomas Hook’s House, and Mexted’s Stone House),
– old public buildings (Tawa School, Takapu Road School, the Railway Station [now 65 years old] and the site of the original Tawa Railway Station, shops on the corner of Main Road and Oxford Street), and the sites of the early military stockades,
– old homes (Bartlett’s, Shilling’s, Mexted’s (corner Oxford Street and Sussex Street)) as well as other sites like Elsdon Best’s memorial, the WW1 memorial in Willowbank Park and the old railway houses in Duncan Street.
Our aim is to describe the history of these houses and / or sites, to photograph them, and perhaps to publish a booklet regarding them, and / or place the information on our website.
If you any information of interest regarded to any of these buildings or sites or any others in Tawa that we ought to be considering place contact a member of the Executive committee.
Old railway route
Transport was key to the development of Tawa and after the Old Porirua Road, the Wellington – Manawatu Railway through Tawa and Granada North and later the North Island main trunk deviation provided many employment opportunities in the area as well as stimulating the eventual urbanisation of the Tawa valley. This project seeks to publicise the original railway route through Tawa, the remaining features from the original construction period and the influences the railway had on the development of Tawa. Also see under Information Boards.
In conjunction with railway enthusiast David Parsons the publican of Rails Through the Valley came to fruition at the end of 2008.
Takapu Road WWII Army Ammunition Depot
Phil Harland headed up a project to research the U.S. military ammunition depot that it is understood existed off Takapu Road during the stay of the U.S. forces in Wellington during WWII. Following a request for further information from members in Newsletter #4 in 2002, a number of people came forward with supporting reminiscences. We are indebted to Brian and Graham Mexted and Murray Henderson for information received so far. This is also confirmed by the recollections of John Woodman’s, on page 39 of the booklet “I Remember Tawa” by Barbara Adams, who is quoted as saying “The Americans were up there (Takapu Valley) during the war and there was a lot of activity then. They had a big ammunition dump and a rifle range.”
Although New Zealand records and archives provide details of U.S. Military bases in Porirua, Kapiti and Wairarapa, as yet official sources, such as N.Z. Ministry of Works records have failed to show up any reference to this Takapu depot, but we have seen a 1944 aerial photograph of the Tawa Interchange and Grenada North area and in this there appears to be confirmation of some activity such as that so far described by witnesses, located on a side road South off Takapu Road where previously Horn’s pig farm was located.
So far the Takapu Road, Tawa, U.S. Marine Depot has been described by locals as an : Ammunition Dumb, Rifle Range, Store (for food and clothing) and a Depot for Road Making Machinery. Perhaps in a minor way it was all those things but inquiries continue into the activity at this depot.
Phil Harland continued to pursue this elusive quarry during 2005 and 2006 which resulted in a booklet on the Takapu Ammunition depot being published early 2008.
Phil would still appreciate hearing from anyone further having further information about this small U.S. military base during the 1942–45 period. (Phil can be reached on 04-232 8157, Email: pandeharland (at) xtra.co.nz).
Tawa Street Name origins
During 2004-5 the Society gathered information on the origins of Tawa Street names. See here for a list of Tawa Street names and a summary their origins.
The Society applied for, and received $1,000 from the Tawa Community Grants Scheme to help fund the publishing of a book dealing with the origins of the street names in Tawa.
This book, The Streets of Tawa, containing almost 100 pages was published in November 2005. See here for an associated press article.
Future Publications
It is probably time that, as a society, we started to consider publishing material about Tawa. The following possibilities have been considered :
• Some small monographs on particular aspects of Tawa’s history,
• A book / booklet featuring, say, 20 houses / buildings of historical interest in Tawa. Perhaps this could be published over two years, as a calendar?
• A “Tawa’s History” calendar,
• A book on Tawa in 1838, 1848, 1923 and 1943 using the notes, maps and photos presented to the U3A members in a series of lectures on Tawa’s history,
• A publication to expand on the history of the Tawa Cemetery, detailing the gift of the land by Edward Gibbon Wakefield; its site for a Church, and the people entombed and commemorated there,
• A pamphlet explaining membership.
• A pamphlet describing the reserve set aside in Tawa by the Duncan family (off Fyvie Avenue), acknowledging the work of Charles and Stuart Duncan. The Society has had discussions with WCC and The Friends of Tawa Bush Reserves, regarding the future of this reserve, which it is hoped will be named as “Charles Duncan Reserve”.
All these really require someone with writing, editing and historical skills to head up such ventures. Any offers would be welcome? Some will also require further funding or sponsorship support.
Society Website
In May 2005 the Society launched its own website, with the assistance from committee member and webmaster Richard Herbert. It is our aim that the latest news regarding the Society's projects will be regularly posted on the website along with other information gathered of interest to the history of the area, for the information and use of the community and future generations.
Comments on material posted and other contributions of interest are keenly sought and should be emailed to the webmaster though the contact link below.
Members of the Society are welcome to offer other suggestions for consideration as regards the future directions and projects of the Society or a special interest that they may have some expert knowledge about.