Teacher Only Day - Te Awamutu Intermediate

Staff Briefing:
We began in the staff room, given a bunch of different handouts for a range of curriculum areas, a yearly planner and the agenda for the day. There are so many classroom things that do not affect me as the Fabrics teacher however, it's always good to know what's going on across the school
I will have further induction next week, along with other new staff members.

We all jumped on the bus and went to the Te Awamutu Museum where the lovely staff gave us an overview of the different types of educational programmes they provide. We also looked at some a range of historical apparatus/animal parts etc. that they allow students to touch - with special gloves on of course!

We then had the pleasure of being taken on a tour of sites around the Waipa that shaped the district. Most of the incidents described were to do with Maori land confiscation and Maori land wars.

These are all the notes I took as Chuck took us to a number of different historical sites.

Morgan - missionary who have the government info about Māori movement supporting Taranaki.
Morgan taught local Māori animal husbandry, farming techniques and introduced technology. He bright numerous seeds etc and this area had loads of fruit trees.
His dog carried a little bag that had clover seeds in it. He sewed clover all over the place!

Catholics had an influence in the area: Rangiaowhia urupa

Finance minister set up a company to buy land off soldiers, sometimes just for a bottle of whisky. Huge profits were made.

After a particularly nasty attack on local Māori, the wife of a pakeha officer - Rahapa - wrote to Grey about the way soldiers looted her house. She did not mention any of the despicable behaviour of some of the soldiers towards the Māori women and children.

1854
The church timber was milled locally. Pitch-sawn timber. Thomas Power was behind this church being built by Māori labour.

Rangiaowhia: karakia was part of daily life. Produce was a massive industry and a lot was shipped to Auckland. 35 hectares of wheat. £330 profit from sales of produce

The declaration of independence was signed in 1835 this led to the treaty

Wakefield created the NZ Company to 'advertise' living in New Zealand. Land packages etc

1860s
Soldiers moved South and were threatening war on local Māori. They were told If you cross the Rangiriri part of the river you are declaring war. Which they promptly did. (I was unsure if he said the Rangriri as he spoke rather quickly!)

Rewi Maniapoto - Rangatira. Was in a fortified pa and refused to give up when they were surrounded by troops. Escaped with women and children surrounded by the men. Under fire and pursued by troops.
Governor Grey erected a monument in his memory - while he was still alive

Matakitaki: a site where Nga puhi came and killed many thousands. Nga puhi established themselves here and used this as their base to hunt  thoise that had offended them further north. Because they settled in the area, there were a number of relationships/marriages formed with the local iwi. This put an end to any type of conflict with locals because they essentially became kin.

I've never heard of a Redoubt before today. We visited a couple of sites and this one in particular was still as it was when in use - despite a wee church having been taken away. Chuck described the ins and outs and we got a good view of Pirongia from every side.

Colonial soldiers were given 1 acre of land after a certain amount of service and officers were given 40 acres. Often this land was abandoned or sold for a bottle of whisky because it was inaccessible - no roads - and not the best soil to grow crops.

Although I won't be a regular classroom teacher, the knowledge I have gained about the local iwi and historical events in the Waipa is invaluable. I love knowing more of New Zealand's history and how certain events shaped the way we are today.
This was a fantastic day where I was also able to connect with new colleagues :-)