avondale historical journal 86

The Avondale

Historical Journal

November — December 2015

Official Publication of the Avondale-Waterview Historical Society Incorporated

The image above, from the NZ Graphic of 28 February 1912, is a rare photo of the Avondale Hotel as the local post office. Official files on post offices in Avondale in Wellington only go back as far as 1865, earlier information ap-parently lost during the White Swan sinking. However, a postal receiving agency was established in 1861 at a store in the new “Whau Bridge” subdivision (near the first hotel, at the Rosebank and Great North Road intersection) run by a Mr or Mrs Black according to postal historian Ivan Clulee. In 1862, this office was shifted to a store near pre-sent-day Elm Street. From 1865 through to the early 1870s, the names listed as being in charge of the agency seem to be close to or exactly like the names of early publicans of the hotel.

From September 1881, the name “Whau Bridge” for the agency was changed to “Whau”, and then to “Avondale” in 1882. From 1881 until 1912, the post office was at the railway station, and the station master was also the postmas-ter.

This third Avondale Hotel, built 1888, was to be the post office until 1938, with the opening of Avondale’s purpose-built PO back at the Rosebank/Great North Road junction. The hotel building became the Avoncourt from 1941, and was demolished in September 1967.

Image: NZG-19120228-21-2, courtesy Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries

Next meeting of the Avondale-Waterview Historical Society:

at St Ninians, St Georges Road

SATURDAY, 5 December 2015, 2.00 pm

The Avondale Historical Journal

Avondale/New Windsor has a new reserve. It is a shame, though, that it will bear the name “Te Kotui-tanga Reserve.” The real Te Kotuitanga has nothing to do with the site.

I first came upon references to Te Kotuitanga years ago as an early place name in the Avondale district, somewhere hundreds of years ago where a skirmish or attack had occurred while a waka was being dove-

tailed together (the meaning of the name, “the dove-

tailing”) at the head waters of the Whau River.

Te Kawerau a Maki recognise it as a place of ancestral significance included amongst four pre-emption waiver transactions by Europeans with “another iwi” between the Whau Portage and Titirangi, a “canoe building site” somewhere on the Whau Portage according to the Deed of Settlement Claims c.2014. So, this seems to indicate a more “west of the Whau” placement for Te Kotuitanga, rather than east.

Added to this, from 1921 we have George Graham’s account (published in The Journal of the Polynesian Society Volume 30 No. 19 (1921) pp.166-168) of the story of the sons of Whao-roa, from Ngati-huarere, descended from the ariki of the Te Arawa waka, an iwi who had mana over much of north Coromandel and the Hauraki Gulf in the 1700s. Whao-roa and his sons had historic links with Te Tatua at Three Kings, and ac-cording to Graham lived during the time of Kiwi Tamaki, who was a cousin of theirs. Judging by the additional information Graham obtained from Te Tete Ngahuripoko of Awataha/Shoal Bay who related the story, that all of the Whao-roa’s sons died at the battle in West Auckland which also killed Kiwi Tamaki in the 1780s to 1790s, this places the story of

Te Kotuitanga at around the 1770s or so, therefore our district’s oldest historically dateable event.

“Whao-roa … had several sons, Tai-haro the eldest, and Rau-iti the youngest but cleverest of these sons; and these all lived in their respective pas at Te Tatua with their wives of Ngai-Riu-ki-uta [Three Kings].

“When Whao-roa was in extreme old age, he ad-dressed his sons thus: “This is my ‘ohaki’ (desire ex-pressed before time of death). “Oh sons, prepare a ca-noe for us to go to see our relatives at Moehau [the sacred mountain, northern Coromandel Peninsula] that I may again taste of the foods of those forests, streams, and coasts of my ancestors; that I may be wept over by my relatives there; that you may also become acquaint-ed with those relatives, and take wives from among your cousins at Moehau, and that our daughters here may marry with their brothers (cousins—male): lest it be said our genealogical descent has erred (Kei he nga whakapapa).” Such were the ideas and customs of those olden people of ours.

“When Whao-roa thus spoke there was a long silence—none of his elder sons responded; they merely listened and talked among themselves. Hence a prov-erb, “Nga uri o Whao-roa whakarongo puku” (the off-spring of Whao-roa who listened in silence—that is, without making appropriate reply).

Poor Te Kotuitanga — left high and dry

New reserve at Tiverton Road

Olympic Park

Whau Stream

Avondale Stream

Whau River

(Below) Map from Auckland Council GIS website, showing the new reserve on Tiverton Road, in comparison with the location of the Whau River, its head waters, and Olympic Park.

“Thereupon, up rose and spoke Rau-iti, the youngest, saying: “'Tis well, Oh Sire, that we do thy bidding; thy sons will fulfil thy desires. We will go and see those relatives, that thou mayest weep over them, and they over thee; that we may also by our marriages preserve our genealogical descent. 'Tis well, old man. This is the word of Rau-iti thy son who speaks in decision.” Hence the proverb: “Nga kupu o Rau-iti whakarite” also “Te Rau-iti kupu whakarite,” said of a person whose deci-sions carry weight with a tribe, as well as finality to a dispute.

“Therefore the elder brothers of Te Rau-iti became jealous. By their delay in replying to their father's words their mana had passed on to Te Rau-iti their younger brother who had, by his action intercepted the speeches they had been silently preparing in reply to their father's ohaki. Hence the proverb applied in such cases. “He Karoro kokoti ihu waka: (“A flying fish in-tercepting the bow of the canoe.”) They, however, oth-erwise concealed their jealous thoughts; intending at some future time to humiliate their younger brother. Such were the evil thoughts of yore which brought about war and strife.

“The brothers then selected a party to go ahead to the forests at Pukehuhu [“Grub hill,” one of the summits of the Waitakere Ranges, whence, as the name implies, large quantities of an edible grub, the huhu, were ob-tained.] to prepare a camp and carry food for the canoe builders. They then selected the canoe building party, and the axes were brought from the tuahu—the ceremo-nies thereof were performed by their sister, the ceremo-nies in respect of the mauri of the axes and of the sharpening of them; of the mauri of the forest, and the tree-felling. Thereupon they set forth to the tree select-ed aforetime by olden men for a canoe. No women ac-companied this party—such was the custom, nor must any woman approach the canoe until it was completed and made usable (whakanoatia).

“When the tree was felled for the hull of the canoe; and one for the bow, and one for the stern; they began to shapen the tree-trunks for their purposes. Then arose a quarrel as to the architecture of the canoe. Now Te Rau-iti far excelled his brothers in ability. It was his opinion that the canoe sections should be made to unite dovetailed for greater strength. Now this was a very difficult method, although by all admitted to be the best, but the elder brothers resented Te Rau-iti's superior knowledge in canoe building. They said, “How conceit-ed this young man is! He claims to know everything.” But Te Rau-iti ignored their remarks and sent for his sister that she might whaka-puta the dove-tailing of the canoe parts. This is a ceremonial observed also in dove-tailing the tahuhu of a house. Hence the name of that place in the Waitakere forest, “Te Whaka-

putanga.” Te Rau-iti thereupon directed his fellow-

workers to proceed with their work; hence another name of that place, “Te Kotuitanga.” It is at the head of the Whau tidal creek, whither the roughly hewed

canoe parts had been dragged to be completed. There is also this proverb said of a well united tribe or family:—“He wakakotuita, kahore e tukutukua nga mimira.”

“A dove-tailed canoe—not unloosened, shall become its lashings.”

“It would not be easy to defeat such a tribe if its vari-ous hapus were in unity in peace and war.

“However, this quarrel was regarded as a tohu-aitua—

omen of evil portent—predicting the death of the person for whom the canoe was being built—Te Whao-roa, their father. In due course the canoe was finished, but before it was launched a taua set forth and killed a man as a koha (sacrificial offering). After the canoe had been ceremonially performed over and made noa by their sister, it was launched and made ready for their expedition. The canoe was called “Kawenga-

roimata.” (Carry the tears, i.e., the mourning offerings of men, precious garments and weapons who were about to proceed to Moehau.) On such occasions offer-ings were brought as condolences for those dead since last meeting, such offering was called roimata.”

Interesting that Te Kawerau a Maki list this as a signifi-cant place, as there was apparently at one point a battle between them and Ngati-huarere, which Te Kawerau lost. However, Whao-roa’s family as cousins to Kiwi Tamaki would have been more-or-less kin to Te Kawerau as well.

The parts of Kawenga-roimata were thus carved on the Titirangi slopes, and dragged to the head waters of the Whau River where the parts were dove-tailed together, and the waka launched on the river. To me, this indi-cates strong association with either the Avondale or the Whau Streams, and the place where they flow together as head waters for the main river. A spot today called Olympic Park.

However, today, “Te Kotuitanga” has been applied by the Whau Local Board since their September 2015 meeting as a name to a reserve distant from the waters with which it is associated, up on the ridge leading to New Windsor Road, at 72-80 Tiverton Road.

This site was once farmed by the French family from 1908, who owned the block from Blockhouse Bay Road through to New Windsor Road, with their homestead up on the hill. The family subdivided the farm into strips from the 1930s, and in 1955 five of the strips were pur-chased as a block by Chinese market gardener Lowe Nam. Lowe Nam’s name appears in Auckland newspa-pers from the 1920s, meaning he was part of the gener-ations affected by the infamous poll tax in this country. He was also part of the post-World War II period when Chinese market gardeners set themselves up briefly in Avondale, especially on Rosebank Peninsula, before industrialisation took over. The part played by Chinese landowners and market gardeners in our community, of course, goes back to the early 1900s, when Ah Chee set up his gardens on the future Avondale College site.


Lowe Nam owned and worked the Tiverton site from 1955 until his death at the age of 90 in 1991. The site remained in Lowe family hands until 2007, meaning more than 50 years ownership, when it was transferred to Auckland City Council.

The site was used by Auckland Transport as a construc-tion site from 2012-2014, and as compensation for this AT allocated funding towards its redevelopment along multicultural lines. Quoting the report by Council staff to the Whau Local Board at their September meeting, “During the initial consultation, the local community and stakeholders were consulted on the look and feel of the park as well as its intended use. The surrounding area is multicultural with strong Indian and Asian influ-ences which have been reflected in the design of the park. The park is designed around a central lawn to be used as a kick-around space and incorporates a shelter structure for Tai Chi, yoga and a reflexology feature. The shelter has been designed to reflect the cultural influences and the planting plan has Asian themes in-cluding flowering cherry trees.”

I suggested to Council staff, among other options, that Lowe Nam be remembered in the naming of the reserve, a name which would reflect on the park’s design, and New Windsor’s multicultural present-day make-up. There is no reserve or street name in Avondale/New Windsor which commemorates the Chinese gardeners who were part of our community in the past, or reflects upon those from South and East Asia who are part of our community now.

Council staff advised the Local Board that Te Kotuitanga “is located some distance from the park and it is considered that a name which associates more closely with the area may be more appropriate.”

However, the Whau Local Board completely rejected the suggestions of Jimmy Nam Lowe or Lowe Nam for the new reserve. In their decision, adding an extra reso-lution to those suggested in the Council report, they said that they as the Board:

“notes that Te Reo Maori is an official language of Aotearoa, yet within the vicinity of 72-80 Tiverton Road, there is not one park or reserve area with a name that is of any significance to mana whenua.”

Thing is, the park at 72-80 Tiverton Road is not of sig-nificance to mana whenua, but it appears that the Local Board have now declared that it is, by the application of an important place name which actually belongs else-where. Board Chairman Catherine Farmer, in an email response to me regarding this issue, stated: “While Mr Nam Lowe played an influential role in the development of the area, the majority of the reserves and parks locat-ed within a 5km radius of 72-80 Tiverton Rd already carry the names of prominent non-Maori landowners, such as: Dickey Reserve, Dallas Reserve, Hendon Park, Brydon Place Reserve, Chalmers Reserve and Bob’s Hill Reserve. This is indicative of the colonial history of the area and our board decided to provide some balance that acknowledges the thousands of years of history and occupation that Tangata Whenua have with the whenua and awa.”

Apart from the fact that Hendon and Chalmers Reserves aren’t named after land owners at all, within the Avondale/New Windsor/Blockhouse Bay area are to be found the following:

Temuka Gardens Reserve, Maoiro Street, Peter Buck Road, Puketea Street, Matata Street, the Whau Stream, Maire Street, Taramea Street, Te Wiata Place, Patiki


The glasshouses belonging to Lowe Nam on Tiverton Road in 1959. Detail from Auckland Council aerial.


Before the purpose-built police station/constable’s resi-dence dating from 1906 that still exists today in the shopping centre as a boarding house, those constables tasked with the job of overseeing Avondale and West Auckland either didn’t live, or were based, here at all. From 1895, at least, they did rent a place. According to files held in Archives New Zealand in Wellington (another part of my “information raid” for the Society when I was down there last May), this early police sta-tion was on property rented from W J Binsted from July 1895, so – I think it is likely that the first police station was on St Judes Street, just up from Binsted’s butcher shop at the corner with St Georges Road.

Leading up to 1895, mounted constables were based in the city and had to ride out on their official business. Avondale and New Lynn weren’t too far away to be practical, but Henderson Valley and the Waitakeres were, as seen by the letters in the police department file dating from 1894, asking for more police presence in that part of West Auckland.

“As the pic-nic season approaches and as this district is greatly frequented by such parties and as the depreda-tion of many causers great loss to the settlers from time to time & the danger to lives and property is considera-ble: I deem it advisable to ask for proper protection on

such occasions … Individuals in other parties … dam-age trees, carry off all they can lay their hands on & commit havoc with impunity … Today I happened to be away from home & my wife and family with difficulty prevented the bridge & other store I use being burnt down by a fire lit by lads from the Beresford Street School …”

Constable W Kelly, already hard at work in the remote area trying to keep on top of things, wrote to Inspector Hickson that the stories were true, and added, “The great danger … feared by the settlers residing at Waitakerei [sic] is that some day during the dry weather that a large bush fire will be raised through some of the persons wandering about the bush and lighting fires to boil their Billys and their thoughtlessly going away without taking the precaution of extinguishing the fire …”

John Bollard of Avondale stepped into the matter, send-ing Inspector Hickson a letter dated 15 November 1894.

“Sir, On behalf of the inhabitants of Mount Albert, Point Chevalier, Avondale and the districts beyond extending to the West Coast, and as far north as Taupaki, I have the honour to apply for the transfer of one of the

Road, Himikera Ave, Whakawhiti Loop, Whau Cres-cent, and Waitati Place.

The Board’s decision seems to have made with disre-gard to the efforts made by Council staff to finally give our area a place with a distinct multi-cultural feel at last. The suggestion to name the reserve after Lowe Nam wasn’t as much a recognition of another former land-owner, as it would have been a clear signal that Avondale has both a multicultural past and a multicul-tural future. The Avondale-Waterview Historical Socie-ty signalled to the current Whau Local Board two years ago that we want to see recognition on the landscape of our multicultural heritage. We don’t have any places or streets commemorating our area’s multicultural back-ground, present and future, except for Rizal Reserve, named after a Filipino nationalist from the 19th century who had no association with our district’s history at all, much less New Zealand. In terms of the naming of reserves and streets, there appears today, illustrated by this decision, to be a preference instead for bi-culturalism, rather than multi-culturalism, even where the latter actually is better suited. And like the colonials of the 19th century and the Auckland City Council of the first half of the 20th century, Maori names of signifi-cance may continue to be placed away from their sites of memory, to fulfil that artificial and arbitrary preference.

Avondale and the Avondale community deserve better than this. The Lowe family deserved better, as with the Chinese community. But, sadly, it is unlikely that the Local Board will now change their minds, and let Te Kotuitanga be where it belongs, with the waters as-sociated with that waka from nearly 300 years ago. It deserves to be the alternate name for Olympic Park, instead of attached to a cold clay spot up on the ridge. It is that important to our history, both Maori and Pakeha.

The new sign with the name may already be up at the reserve. When I walk past from now on, and see that sign, I shall forever think, “Poor Te Kotuitanga, left high and dry.”

Lisa J Truttman

Avondale’s early constables and their station – 1895-1906


Mounted Constables now stationed in Auckland to Avondale.

“The districts named above contain more than three thousand (3000) inhabitants, and are now looked after by the Police stationed at Auckland. We therefore think that Police Supervision would be much more convenient and efficient if a Mounted Constable were stationed in a central position like Avondale.

“Trusting the application will meet with your favoura-ble consideration, I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, John Bollard, JP

Avondale.”

On 12 December 1894, Bollard followed this up with statistics.

“Sir

In accordance with my promise I have the honour to supply you with a return of the population of the dis-tricts named below, as copied from the official records of last census:-

“Mount Albert Road District – 1400 persons

Avondale Road District – 662 persons

Point Chevalier Road District – 549 persons

Mount Roskill Road District – 391 persons

Waikomiti Riding – 719 persons

Waitakerei Riding – 969 persons

Total 4690.

“I may state that I shall be most happy to show you round the various districts, providing you give me two or three days’ notice. I have the honour to be, Your obedient servant, John Bollard.”

On 25 February 1895, Inspector Hickson wrote to the Commissioner of Police in Wellington, describing the district, and recommending that a station indeed be set up at Avondale.

“There is a large scattered population from Mount Roskill to Waitakerei, Avondale being the most central and convenient place for a station and the roads, from the more distant parts of the district, converge at Avondale …

“The village of Avondale consists of five stores, two bootmaker’s shops, two blacksmiths, a public hall, pub-lic school, butchers shop, slaughter yard, brickyard, bus stables, one hotel. There is another hotel at New Lynn about a mile further from Auckland.

“I have made inquiries at the Land Office here and find that government does not own any land near the public roads at Avondale.

“There is a telephone bureau at Avondale and buses run to and from Auckland daily at regular intervals.”

Once the department approved the Avondale police sta-tion, it was up to Inspector Hickson to settle on a chosen spot. The Binsteds cottage on St Judes was just one on offer. Hickson described it in April 1895 as “abutting the New North Road (in those days, St Judes was seen as a continuation of what is New North Road today), and is in a very central position and almost opposite the Avondale Hotel.”

John Forsyth, living further along on Great North Road towards the Whau Bridge, offered the same lease as Binsted (10s per week), plus an additional offer to build two additional rooms to his house, with lock-up, forage store and stables, all on three years lease. Paterson & Co, owners of the Avondale Stables, offered to build a five-roomed house with stable and lock-up, for 15/- lease per week.

The police decided to go with the Binsted offer, where the house provided was renovated, with two front rooms added, a one-stall stable with forage room provided, plus lock-up, with fencing “both sides”, a large paddock at the rear, and a front picket fence.

The first resident policeman in the area was Constable second class James Ulysses Browne (1858-1950) although Constable Kelly did put in an application to be the resident instead. Constable Browne died at the age of 92, and was buried at Waikaraka Cemetery in Onehunga. Constable Patrick Francis Crean (d.1919) was the next to be stationed in Avondale from September 1898 (three years after joining the force) until September 1901. He then served in Kawakawa and Thames, rising in rank to Sergeant and finally Senior-Sergeant at Mount Cook Police Station in Wellington, where he died suddenly from a cerebral growth. The next Avondale-based policeman was Constable Alexander Frederick Gordon (c.1857-1924), then Constable Thomas O’Grady from October 1903 (transferred to Dunedin with the rank of sergeant in 1907). Funds became available to purchase a site for a new po-lice station, and build a residence, lock-up and stable, at that point. A site at 2004 Great North Road was ob-tained by the Crown in August 1903 from John McKail Geddes and Herman Brown, and tenders were called for the construction side in June 1906 by Charles Ranken Vickerman (1855-1940).

“The Public Works Department will receive tenders up to July 18 next for the erection of a new police station and residence at Avondale. There will be three separate buildings, namely, the constable's residence and office, the lockup and a stable. The residence will have a front-age of 41 ft to the Great North-road and a depth of 52 ft. The stable and the lock-up will occupy the rear portion of the grounds. The buildings will be built in wood.”

This was to remain as Avondale’s police station up until June 1996.

Lisa J Truttman


(Article by Harry P Taituha, published in Avondale Advance and Blockhouse Bay Beacon, February 1954.)

Dressed in a smart Inez Creations frock with a belt in contrasting black to match, the glazed surface of her peep-toed Court shoe catching the reflection of the light, slim and fair-haired Betty Helliwell, 23-year-old music teacher from Waterview, ran her fingers lightly over the bars of Chopin’s “Waltz in E Minor.” For a moment she sat at the piano with a far-way look in her eyes. Then she turned to me and smiled. “I like classical music,” she said. “I find it satisfying and restful.”

Betty is not a highbrow; nor does she look down on those who favour modern music, or the tem-po of American jazz, but she can hold her own in any type of classical music. It was a treat to hear her in Beethoven’s “Waldstein Sonata.” Under her light sympathetic touch the piece literally came to life.

Born of a musical family, Betty lived for music all her life. She is the younger of two sisters. The elder, Avis, also plays the piano but Betty is the more accomplished. There are three brothers, two married and one single. The family often has a night of sing-song together; brothers, sisters and parents all joining in. The parents of this happy family are Mr and Mrs D Helliwell, of Fir Street, Waterview. The family is no newcomer to the radio; it sings in the Howe Street Radio Choir.

Betty first studied music under George Wilson, the well known organist of St Matthews Church, Auckland; and while still 15½ obtained the post of music teacher at the Auckland College of Music. Betty’s other tutor was the Continental pianist, Madame Anne Morris, who studied in Germany and graduated from a Conservatorium of Music there. At 17 Betty passed the ATCL exam. Two years later she graduated Licentiate of the Trinity College, London. Betty resigned from the Auckland College of Music after six months, and set up a school of her own at her parents’ home in Waterview. Since then she has never looked back.

Anybody can learn to play the piano. All that is required, according to Betty, is practice. It is said that only those who are gifted, or who have an ‘ear’ for music can do it,

but this is not so, Betty says. One of her pupils, a young woman of 24, did not know a note of music when she joined the school, but she was determined to succeed; and she kept practising. Sheer determination soon brought its reward and within a few months she had passed from one grade into a more advanced course.

Betty teaches theory as well as the practical side of music. Age is no bar to the study of music; many of Betty’s pupils are adults. There is one thing thought which Betty says every pupil should have; and that is a piano.

This young music teacher has been eight years teaching and several of her pupils have hit the headlines. One, 11-year-old Meredith Watkin, formerly of Point Chevalier, but latterly of St Heliers, shared with Mina Foley the honour of topping the whole of Auckland with the highest score of points in the 1951 Auckland Competitions Society’s festival. She and the New Zealand coloratura soprano tied with the score of 90 points each.

Overlooking the bay on the upper reaches of the Waitemata Harbour Betty’s studio is a comfortable room which is built into, and forms part of the family home at Fir Street. It is tastefully furnished, including a

“Teaching Music is Her Forte” – Betty Helliwell, of Waterview



Published by: the Avondale-Waterview Historical Society Inc. Editor: Lisa J. Truttman Society contact: 19 Methuen Road, Avondale, Auckland 0600

Phone: (09) 828-8494, 027 4040 804 email: [email protected]

Society information: Website: http://sites.google.com/site/avondalehistory/ Subscriptions: $15 individual $20 couple/family

$30 corporate

Copies of Avondale Historical Journal and AWHS Newsletter produced for us by

Words Incorporated, 557 Blockhouse Bay Road, Blockhouse Bay.

The Society and AHJ editorial staff thank

Avondale Business Association

for their continued support and sponsorship of this publication.

Sternberg piano. Classes start in the afternoons, allowing enough time for children from the primary and second-ary schools to get to Fir Street. For the convenience of pupils who cannot attend on week days, Betty conducts classes on Saturdays. Business people find these hours more suitable.

(The Helliwell family lived at 73 Fir Street, which became 39 Saxon Street by the late 1950s.)

“You’ve heard of liquid refreshment being ‘on tap’, of course, but did you realise that ice cream is now locally served ‘on tap’ too? For the dubious, our photograph, above, will help to prove the point, for it shows Mrs Upfold at Darrell’s Milk Bar serving ‘Tastee-Freez’ ice creamf rom the Prestcold Freezematic. Only two of these imported machines are at present in New Zealand, and Darrell’s are justifiably proud of the fact that they are first again in introducing to Avondale and district another innovation in ice cream manufacture and distribution.”

(Avondale Advance and Blockhouse Bay Beacon, February 1954)

avondale historical journal 86

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