The Unwritten History Of Australia
Chapter 30
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"The Neglected History
of New Zealand
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"Not only was Maui the first of our people to find this land
but we should be called, after him, for we are his descendants.
Our name as a race should be Maui and not Maori".
John Puao Rakiraki {d.1938}
son of Heremona Rakitapu,
chief of the Port Moresby Molyneux Moriori.
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Chapter
30 Images
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Wairoa River New Zealand
Photo by Rex Gilroy
There is one question whose answer continues to perplex scientists concerned with the spread of ancient human settlement throughout the Pacific Islands; Who were the first stone-age discoverers of New Zealand? Indeed, we may also ask, who were the first post-stone-age explorers to land on these shores? For a surely as Australia has a rich 'unwritten' history the same can be said of New Zealand.
Although I have already touched upon this subject in previous chapters, I intend now to present yet further evidence, demonstrating that New Zealand has along history of pre-Tasman-pre Polynesian exploration and colonisation; and in the chapter to follow reveal evidence that stone-age people roamed this land in far earlier ice-age times!
We need not concern ourselves with the arrival of the Dutchman, Abel Tasman, for like James Cook's 'discovery' of Australia's east coast {1770} it is too well known.]Tasman was followed by James Cook, who paid three visits to New Zealand between 1769 and 1777.
Evidence accumulates to show that, long before Tasman, Spanish and also Portuguese explorers visited these shores as I have already shown, there may have been even earlier contacts, made by adventurous Welsh, Irish and other European seafarers who penetrated the Pacific Ocean during the Middle Ages.
In 1888 an old Spanish morion iron helmet was dredged from Wellington Harbour. It had lain buried in the mud since before British settlement of the area, as indicated by the amount of sea water rust coating the relic. It is now displayed in the Te Papa Museum, Wellington.
The helmet has lately been linked by some researchers with at least one Spanish expedition, dispatched under the command of Juan Fernandez from Concepcion, Chile in early September, 1576 to search for the Great South Land..
His vessel, "Our Lady of the Guard", reached Easter Island in late September, and after along voyage westward, in early December land was sighted; East Cape {Cape Beautiful} on the north-west tip of the South Island. Maori traditions speak of their ancestors meeting the crewmen. Ferandez soon continued southward, down the Wairarapa coast as far as Banks Peninsula, but failing to find a suitable anchorage, he decided to sail north again. Crossing Cook Strait the seamen encountered the entrance to Wellington Harbour, where they landed.
In the course of their stay, friendly relations were established with the Maori inhabitants, and it was during this visit the helmet could have been lost. Fernandez carried out further exploration, spending about a year in his new land before sailing for Chile, arriving back in Concepcion January 7th 1578.
Although he realised his new land was not the Great Southern Continent, Fernandez hoped to resume the search with more ships loaded with settlers, priests and supplies to establish a colony, but these hopes were soon dashed, through official disinterest and no financial support.
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Pyramids
in the Pacific Images Ch 30
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Tamil Bell |
Spanish Breasplate |
Korotangi |
During September 1998, together with my wife Heather, I carried out our third field investigation in three years in the North and South Island, gathering evidence for this book. At Dargaville, north of Auckland, we met Noel Hilliman, noted New Zealand historical researcher, skindiver and curator of the Dargaville Maritime Museum. Noel spoke of a large stone altar and stone crucifix, found by a farmer on a bank of the nearby Wairoa River in 1902.
These relics were partly buried beneath the roots of an ancient Kahikita tree, attesting to their pre-British age. Later, nearby the remains of an apparent Spanish galleon were uncovered. Local Maoris had a tradition of "Rangariri", meaning "Angry Sky" or "Fiery Sky", suggesting the vessel had caught fire. The Maoris also spoke of "feather ships", {ie vessels with large sails} that went fast "as though a feather directing them".
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Kupe Stone New Zealand Nth
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