Colonial Homes of the Far North

On my far north coach trip we visited several colonial homes.  Te Waimate Mission was established by Samuel Marsden,  who played a leading role in cross-cultural interchange and bringing Christianity to  the Maori people in New Zealand.

 Te Waimate Mission

We were given an informative  talk on the verandah by the staff, and were then free to wander through the old home.  Such an interesting cooking arrangement ib the kitchen, you could imagine the heat it would have produced on a hot summer day.

Kitchen at Te Waimate Mission

I'm always on the look out for lovely old textiles in these early homesteads and found a gorgeous christening gown of the first European child born in New Zealand.  How special that is.

Christening gown at Te Waimate Mission

James Busby's Treaty House is situated in the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where we had enjoyed a Maori Challenge and Welcome.  The negotiations and the first 40 signings of the Treaty of Waitangi took place on the lawn in front of this home on 6th February 1840, with about 500 Maori Chiefs signing later.

James's wife Agnes had a couple of young Maori girls to help her about the house, and she began to mark her linen for stitching and taught them to sew and knit.  I'm presuming that they all worked together stitching this beautiful bed covering.

Made by Agnes Busby and her staff

At Kerikeri we had a two for one deal, visiting both Kemp House and the historic Stone Store.  

Kemp House

Walking carefully up the tiny wooden staircase I found a small child's bedroom, with dollies on her bed.  

Bedroom upstairs in Kemp House

Then it was just a short stroll to the historic Stone Store, built in 1832 and still trading.  The stone theme is carried inside with a cobbled floor, not easy to walk on and I really had to watch my footing as I walked around.

The Stone Store, Kerikeri

There were all sorts of old fashioned delights inside.  I browsed through a small display of patchwork fabrics and chose three fat quarters to take home.  I was asked if I was a quilter, then the lady presented me with a quilt pattern as well.  I also purchased some beeswax candles -  I like to light a candle each evening for Robin.

Fabric from the Stone Store

The last historic home we visited was Clendon House, at Rawene.  James Clendon was a ship's captain who later became a merchant and magistrate, and the house is surrounded by beautiful gardens and looks out over the bay.

Clendon House

As someone who enjoys keeping the laundry up to date, I was most impressed with the size of this wringer/mangle.  

There was a beautiful christening gown laid out on a bed, and I was told that one of the staff members had been painstakingly restoring it over quite some time.

Christening gown at Clendon House

You may remember that the a visit to Tane Mahuta, Lord of the Forest was quite a moving experience for me on this trip.  It was wonderful to see this magnificent Kauri tree again, standing so proudly in the Waipoua Forest.

Tane Mathuta, Lord of the Forest

Perhaps you didn't know that I have stitched my own version of Tane Mahuta?  This was stitched during Covid Lockdown in 2020.

  My version of Tane Mahuta