Local History
AN INTRODUCTION TO NEW PLYMOUTH
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region. The area, while primarily known for its agricultural and dairy farms also offers the visitor a rich history, great walks in native bush parks, the beautiful coastline nearby, and a range of sights, including neat colonial and contemporary New Zealand architecture.
The city is known for its proximity to both sea and mountain, with Mt Taranaki rising to the south of the city, visitors could surf and ski on the same day.
The town is full of interesting historic places and you can view these by taking the New Plymouth Heritage Walkway. This walkway guides you through 30 historic sites in and around the city.
BRIEF HISTORY OF FREDERIC CARRINGTON
Carrington, Frederic Alonzo 1808? – 1901
Surveyor, public administrator, politician, provincial superintendent
Born in Chelmsford, Essex in England. Frederic reached Wellington on the London on 12 December 1840 with his wife and three children.
On 8 February 1841 the Brougham again sailed for Taranaki, with the Carrington brothers, Frederic’s wife, Margaret, and their children, and John Rogan, second assistant surveyor, and other members of the surveying team. He spent time working in New Plymouth and back in England. He did travel back to New Plymouth to work and live.
Frederic Carrington died in his sleep on 15 July 1901. A street is named after him, and a marble tablet erected by his daughters in St Mary’s Church celebrates him as ‘The Father of New Plymouth’.
For more information go to www.dnzb.govt.nz
BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR MOUNTAIN
Mount Taranaki, or Mount Egmont, is an active but quiescent stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. The mountain is more commonly referred to as Taranaki although it has the two official names under the alternative names policy of the New Zealand Geographic Board. The 2518-metre-high mountain is one of the most symmetrical volcanic cones in the world. There is a secondary cone, Fanthams Peak (1966 m), on the south side. Because of its resemblance to Mount Fuji, Taranaki provided the backdrop for the movie The Last Samurai.
OLDER VOLCANOES IN THE AREA
Taranaki sits upon the remains of three older volcanic complexes which lie to the northwest. The Indo-Australian Plate is slowly moving relative to the magma source which feeds these volcanoes. This trend is reflected in Fanthams Peak, the newer secondary cone on the southeast side of Taranaki.
The oldest volcanic remnants consist of a series of lava plugs: Paritutu rock (156m), which forms part of New Plymouth’s harbour, and the Sugar Loaf Islands close offshore. These have been dated at 1.75 million years.
On the coast 15 km southwest of New Plymouth is the Kaitake range (rising to 682m), last active approximately 500,000 years ago.
Nearest to Taranaki is the Pouakai complex. Pouakai may have originated around the same time as Kaitake but remained active until about 240,000 years ago. Much of Pouakai’s large ringplain was obliterated by the Egmont Volcano, the hills near Eltham being the only remnant to the south.
RICHMOND COTTAGE
Richmond Cottage was built in 1853. It is unusual in its stone construction (unlike most buildings that were made of wood during that time). The cottage was home to one the first settler families and was restored by the Historic Places Trust. It was originally known as Beach Cottage. After being closed for several years the cottage has been fitted with all-new content which tells stories of the building, gardens and the families who first built it.
Address: Ariki St
Opening Hours: Weekends and public holidays 11am to 3.30pm
SALAMAN MAUSOLEUM
The Te Henui cemetery in New Plymouth contains a most unusual tomb, a domed structure with a minaret at each corner. The interior has a terrazzo floor and walls lined with a gate vitrolite. Around the walls runs a vitrolite shelf bearing a hermetically-sealed casket, a coy of Rodwells English version of the Quran, and a pair of spectacles belonging to the deceased occupant of the casket. In the centre of the tomb stands a granite table bearing some faded flowers and two candlesticks. Inscription on the exterior reads Mohammed Islam Salaman Tomb. The burial record gives the name of the occupant as Abraham Walley Mohammed Salaman who died on 14 February 1941 at the age of 59. His obituary in the Taranaki Daily News for 17 February 1941 at notes that Mr Salaman had the mausoleum constructed prior to his death at the cost of 2000 pounds. At 1941 prices the 2000 pound would have purchased a respectable house.
ST. MARY’S ANGLICAN CHURCH
In October 1842 Bishop Selwyn established an Anglican presence in Taranaki, obtaining a Crown grant for the land on which New Plymouths St Marys church now stands.
It is the oldest stone church in New Zealand. Designed by Architect Frederick Thatcher, the original church was opened in 1846 and forms part of the present building. Benjamin Mountford was responsible for the sanctuary, a five-sided apse. (1893). Marsland Hill behind the church was once a pa and then the headquarters of the British Army in north Taranaki during the 1860s.
TE HENUI CEMETRY
Te Henui Cemetery is at the junction of Watson and Lemon streets, New Plymouth.
Te Henui opened in 1861 and is the original New Plymouth public cemetery. Set in an attractive park environment, it serves mainly as a heritage cemetery rich in local history and monuments.
THE MOUNTAIN’S NAME
For many centuries the mountain was called Taranaki by Maori. Captain Cook named it Mount Egmont after John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont, the First Lord of the Admiralty who promoted Cooks first voyage. It appeared as Mt Egmont on maps until 29 May 1986, when it was ruled that there would be two alternative and equal official names Mount Taranaki or Mount Egmont. The Egmont name still applies to the national park that surrounds the peak. The Maori word tara means mountain peak, so to bilingual speakers the name Mount Taranaki is linguistically redundant. Naki is thought to come from ngaki, meaning shining, a reference to the snow-clad winter nature of the upper slopes. Geologists refer to it as the Egmont Volcano. The mountain had also been named Pic Mascarin by Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne as he made landfall off Taranaki on 25 March 1772. Du Fresne was unaware of Cooks earlier visit.