MISSION HOUSE Mangungu
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MISSION HOUSE Mangungu CONSERVATION PLAN for Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Mission House Mangungu CONSERVATION PLAN Report Prepared by CHRIS COCHRAN MNZM, B Arch, FNZIA CONSERVATION ARCHITECT 20 Glenbervie Terrace, Wellington, New Zealand Phone 04-472 8847 Email [email protected] for Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Antrim House, 63 Boulcott Street Wellington 6011 Draft for public comment 8 June 2018 Mangungu Mission Station, 1838, before fire destroyed the original mission house (top right) on 19 August 1838, as seen by the eight-year-old Emma Hobbs. Copied from the reproduction hanging in the drawing room of the Mission House Front cover photo, the Mission House in 2010, from the north-west. Photo, Margaret Cochran Back cover photo, the memorial cross marking the re-establishment of the Wesleyan mission in New Zealand in 1827, seen against the waters of the Hokianga Harbour. Photo, Margaret Cochran Contents PROLOGUES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION 2 1.1 Commission 2 1.2 Ownership and Status 2 1.3 Acknowledgements 3 2.0 HISTORY 5 2.1 History of the Mission House 5 2.2 Chronology 25 2.3 Sources 27 3.0 DESCRIPTION 29 3.1 The Site 29 3.2 Description of the House Today 30 4.0 SIGNIFICANCE 34 4.1 Statement of Significance 34 4.2 Inventory 36 5.0 INFLUENCES ON FUTURE DEVELOPMENT 68 5.1 Heritage New Zealand’s Objectives 68 5.2 Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 69 5.3 Resource Management Act 71 5.4 Building Act 2004 72 5.5 Appropriate Standards 74 5.6 Threats and Risks 76 6.0 POLICIES 79 6.1 Background 79 6.2 Policies 81 6.3 Building Implications of the Policies 85 APPENDIX I 87 Icomos New Zealand Charter for the Conservation of Places of Cultural Heritage Value. APPENDIX II 98 Measured Drawings and Topographical Survey PROLOGUE Because the Mangungu Mission House and station is some distance from the regular tourist and holiday destinations in the Bay of Islands, its significance is little appreciated. However, a reading of the missionary journals and the extensive secondary literature (some of which is listed in the bibliography) makes it clear that the Hokianga Mission station is second only to the three original sites in the Bay of Islands (Rangihoua, Kerikeri and Paihia) in its significance in the mission history of New Zealand, and in the history of early contact between European and Maori. The first mission site in Whangaroa has little remaining save a commemorative monument and a plaque in the local church. It was very short-lived. The recommencement of the mission at Mangungu in the Hokianga was very much more significant. Probably a crucial factor was the role of the Hokianga as a significant centre of trading and timber exporting before the missionaries arrived. Also, it greatly extended the impact of the missionaries to the other side of Northland, at a time when the Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS) were still moving very cautiously on expanding their activities, although strong links of local Maori with those in the Bay of Islands within Ngapuhi meant that the Christian message had already been brought to the area by missionaries and Maori evangelists of the CMS. The actual history of the mission at Mangungu is quite mixed, with a series of clashes between missionaries, and very uneven developments, especially surrounding the highly controversial role of William White, the short life of Rev Bumby, and the coming and going and return of John Hobbs. Eventually, as a result of a comity agreement with the CMS, the mission was encouraged to extend itself down the West Coast as far as southern Taranaki, and stations were established in the Manukau, Kawhia and Taranaki. Furthermore, the decision of Bishop Pompallier to establish his mission in Hokianga increased religious tensions in the area. In the end Hokianga ceased to be part of the strategy of this mission, and its resources were sharply cut after the British Wesleyan Methodist Connexion passed responsibility to the Australasian Wesleyans; they placed more focus on reaching the European settlers. Yet from this mission sprang some very strong traditions of Maori Methodists, including Patuone and Tamati Waka Nene, and this tradition continued through Rua Rakena, a noted twentieth century Methodist minister from Ngapuhi. In summary, the return of the Mission House to Mangungu means that it is now a powerful symbol of a very significant aspect of the earliest links between Europeans and Maori in New Zealand. We are immensely fortunate that a 170 year old building survives, and it deserves recognition alongside the buildings at Kerikeri, Waitangi and Russell as the living record of another aspect of the ways in which modern New Zealand came into existence. This building deserves the highest level of protection and care. Peter Lineham Professor of History, Massey University PROLOGUE I am very grateful to heritage New Zealand for moving the Mangungu mission house back onto its original location. It means a lot to know that the house that our great, great grandfather co-built and lived in is back on the land that is such an important place in New Zealand history. Along with family, I attended the 2012 commemoration of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi at Mangungu. It was a beautiful day and the singing of Maori hymns in the chapel, then the bone-chilling haka and waiata on the lawn outside, were very moving. I was impressed and amused by how young some of the group were. We picnicked under the oak trees; being under the same trees that John Hobbs had planted near the house was quite grounding for me – it made the 174 years between us seem not that long. During the picnic, we saw six or more waka paddling down the river from the northwest. The crews were singing and doing choreography with their oars … it was stunning. I have a photo of my wife Linda taken there in 1985; we didn’t know it then but she was newly pregnant with our first son. We were there with my father (who is also named John Hobbs), my mother, my grandmother and my aunt Rene Hobbs, all since passed away; the women were standing together on the grass bank beside the mission house with the Chapel and the beautiful Hokianga harbour behind them. This photo is dear to me as my mother passed away only a few months later. Rene had worked for the Maori Methodist Mission, devoting her life to Maori communities mainly in the Waikato. She was so happy to be at Mangungu that weekend, she was proud of and inspired by the work of her ancestor. Rene never married and spent a lot of time with us as children; she would keep us informed of Hobbs history and would rap us on the knuckles if our Maori pronunciation was not correct. I think we would all be the poorer for it if the Mission house, chapel and land had been forgotten. I personally know much more about my family history thanks to those who value the past. I have been proud to learn that John and Jane Hobbs were noble, courageous and resourceful people and am so pleased that they are honoured, their work not forgotten, at this special place. Thank you. Jeffrey Hobbs, Tomarata Great great grandson of John and Jane Hobbs Mission House, looking north-east from the verandah. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Mangungu Mission House is amongst the oldest buildings in the country, being built in 1839, and is one woven into the story of the early period of contact between the indigenous people of Aotearoa and the European settlers. It is closely associated with the introduction of Christianity to New Zealand, and with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. It stands today on a site of great historical importance and natural beauty, an important example of early European architecture in New Zealand, able to teach us much about history, cultural exchange, building technology and pioneering enterprise. Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga have cared for the building since 1972 and it is visited by the public. This conservation plan describes its history, defines its cultural heritage values, and sets policies for its future management. These advocate for a continuing high level of care, and for some modest changes to make the building more valuable as a place in which visitors can understand more fully our history and culture. 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Commission This Conservation Plan for the Mission House, Mangungu, is the result of a commission dated 9 September 2009 from Gordon Hewston, then Regional Manager Heritage Destinations North, New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now Heritage New Zealand. The plan includes a history of the Mangungu Mission, and of the house itself; a description of it as it stands today; an assessment of its cultural heritage significance, and policies for its future management. It broadly follows the standard heritage New Zealand format for conservation plans (see Guidelines for Preparing Conservation Plans, NZHPT, 2000), although with some variation in detail. Conservation standards are those set out in the ICOMOS New Zealand Charter for the Conservation of Places of Cultural Heritage Value; the technical content of the plan meets the requirements of the New Zealand Building Code. This report deals with the house itself, and does not include the church, other buildings or structures on the land, or extend to the remarkable collection of objects within it, nor the garden and wider setting. These elements are of high heritage value. The contents are the subject of a separate report Mangungu Mission Collection prepared by Rebecca Apperley, Heritage Advisor Collections, March 2014, which deals with the ownership, provenance and significance of items in the collection, which presently totals 484 objects.