Death of chief Tainui PHOTO ALBUM

About this image

DescriptionDEATH OF CHIEF TAINUI Grey River Argus 2/12/1880. Death, the greatest leveller, has removed another of Greymouth’s earliest inhabitants, if not the earliest settler on the West Coast of New Zealand: we allude to the venerable Maori Chief, Tainui, who died on Tuesday evening. The old chief was nearly 80 years of age and may be regarded as the last of the purely Maori race on the West Coast. The old man must have been a fine stalwart savage in his early days and, until recently, he was hale and hearty, but within the last few months, he became stone blind, and it was a pitiable sight to see the old chief feeling his way about the grounds belonging to his house or being led by one of his relatives. A kindly old gentleman was Tainui, and he will be missed by the children especially, with whom he always liked to converse Today in 2022 a cross in the ground marks the location of the burial cave which is on the corner of Smith Street and at the Omoto end of Mawhera Quay. Due to Transit New Zealand restrictions a Poe was erected on the opposite side of the road as a memorial. Also a Pounamu boulder and viewing platform was constructed to celebrate Ngai Tahu and Ngati Waewae heritage.
The two arrows in the photos indicate the burial cave and the burial ground at the head of the Blaketown lagoon.ContributorTony Kokshoorn

Shown in this image

Location (city or town)GreymouthPersonChief TainuiTony KokshoornLisa TumahaiLandmark (Place)Maori burial groundEventDeath of chief Tainui

Category Information

Category TagMaori

From Facebook

CommentsCallum Goodmanson
That's ps poor.... Half buried cross you can only just see surrounded by heavy machinery top notch

Brent Jones
An important piece of our West Coast history to be preserved

Anne Honey
When i was a child in the 50s we climbed up to a cave above the road to Omoto. We were told it was the burial cave of Chief W Tainui. We were very respectful.

John Greaney
Great research Koko. Interesting to know that Tainui on got to Okaeito. What about those that lived South of Okarito, re South Westland. Who were they and were they also invaded from Otago or Canterbury to get pounamu.
A lot of history that were should have been taught at school.

Philip Sim
Great story, our ancestor John Shannahan in 19882 lived in the former whare owned by the rangatira Tainui. He employed another ancestor to build the Union Hotel 1888-89 and held the licence until 1920. John and his wife Catherine lived there upstairs. When he passed away in 1905, Catherine brought a house in Herbert Street and continued to manage the hotel.

Felicity Pudds
He needs proper recognition and a decent memorial.Martin Kahui
Typical of the government, no sentiment

Mahana Coulston
He spent most of his life in Canterbury and returned to the coast when Tarapuhi died his older brother
Greg Mait
For anyone interested in the history of Maori on the Westcoast and much of the south Island ,I would recommend reading the excellent book by Atholl Anderson " The Welcome of Strangers". An ethnohistory of southern Maori A.D. 1650- 1850. An overview of Ngai Tahu's origins and their relationships with other tribes It describes tribes living on the Westcoast prior to the arrival of Ngai Tahu and their subsequent demise

OCR Text Transcription Edit Edit +-Close