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An interesting Headstone at Ahaura Cemetery - note the Waitangi reference.
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DescriptionAn interesting Headstone at Ahaura. Note the Waitangi reference.Map[1] ContributorPaul Agnes Smith
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Location (city or town)Ahaura.PersonSamuel Henry CoatesLandmark (Place)Ahaura Cemetery Organisation (eg business)Ahaura Cemetery
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Category TagCemetery
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Date Created18th July 2023CommentsFrankie Hound
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspa.../ODT18891030.2.72
Papers Past | Newspapers | Otago Daily Times | 30 October 1889 | DEATH OF AN EARLY NEW ZEALAND PIONEER.
PAPERSPAST.NATLIB.GOVT.NZ
Papers Past | Newspapers | Otago Daily Times | 30 October 1889 | DEATH OF AN EARLY NEW ZEALAND PIONEER.
Papers Past | Newspapers | Otago Daily Times | 30 October 1889 | DEATH OF AN EARLY NEW ZEALAND PIONEER.
Reply1d
Slarti Bartfast
Frankie Hound what a very interesting insight to his life, thank you for the share.
Cherie Mortensen
Frankie Hound What amazing history! Went with Real Journey’s down South Westland, while the scenery was outstanding, the history of Cook, his adventures and his encounters with the local Maori showed a different kind of people of the wild Westland. I love history! Thank you very much very thought provoking!
Ken Duncan
there is a book called Old New Zealand by one of the original Pakeha Maori, i have a copy somewhere where things were quite different than claimed ie he experienced Utu which is payment by another name where the hapu he was attached too was raided by another but to stop it continuing in a tit for tat fashion, his hapu took a few items of his house silverware for example for each visitor. so Utu was satisfied. As someone of South Westland Maori extraction I have taken a great interest in how early peoples to NZ recorded things. whilst by todays standards they were not always great they did record things as they saw them & it seems both sides these days make a lot of false claims. one particular one that I regret not having the cash to buy at the time was a journal by one of the early explorers assistant whom recorded for example that the local dialect in south Westland was very different & the river was called Maitai(& as he recorded in brackets Mahitahi as pronounced by their guide). Coates book had he finished it would of been very very interesting
Martin Kahui
Ken Duncan Thats called a muru I think, the surrounding hapus taking retribution
Ken Duncan
Martin Kahui not according to the Pakeha/ Maori's account written prior to the treaty that was Utu. it has many meanings
Martin Kahui
Ken Duncan Here's one from Taranaki in 1873...
https://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/.../The_great_muru%2C.../p1
Journal of the Polynesian Society: The Great Muru, By A Taranaki Veteran, P 97-102
JPS.AUCKLAND.AC.NZ
Journal of the Polynesian Society: The Great Muru, By A Taranaki Veteran, P 97-102
Journal of the Polynesian Society: The Great Muru, By A Taranaki Veteran, P 97-102
Martin Kahui
Ken Duncan Taharua is another one who was molested and plundered (robbed and beaten) for letting his daughter marry Paoa
Ken Duncan
Martin Kahui so a local dialect really. with South Westland for example we know this from our dialect that we had L's, G's in that the Kiekie was known as giegie & large eels were known as Tuna Lako & seeing an original of Cooks map which I have seen before but usually written on the south island is Te Wai Poenamu but this Brit programme had a copy with Te Vy Poenamu I just note on those early europeans recorded Utu meaning several things. here is another example southern NZ including around Wellington it was never called a hangi but an umu which is why we have Paraparaumu or the ovens of ;blue clay, Parapara been the southern word for what today most people call papa
Tania Tones Lawrence
Ken Duncan I have heard in the past, 70's & 80's from my Maori relations that different regions had/have different dialects? I'm interested to know how Te Reo came about and does everyone, Maori from different regions, understand it? Especially older people? Does it translate easy for them? My Uncle and Aunty put a lot of time into teaching us primary school kids in the late 70's, songs, movements, poi, sticks etc. It was great! Thanks for your time.
Rick Giles
Tania Tones Lawrence Yes, different dialects. They even had different Matariki.
So much for diversity. They've been rolled over by just 1 that managed to align itself with government money and quietly suppress the rest!
Stephen John Young
Ken Duncan You are correct. Hana O'Regan will back you on this! Other examples I can think of are Otago, mategouri (the plant), Waihola, and Katiki (near Moeraki) should actually be Katigi.
Ken Duncan
Tania Tones Lawrence your on to it Tania. think of here in Canterbury there is an area that everyone calls Mutton now but its spelt Motunau , I think if you look at it there is no way you would get the first from the second unless that is how the locals were pronouncing it. but all we hear is it is a bastardized version. Maori also told the early settlers that there were people here when they arrived & even Waitaha say they were people here when they arrived here under Maui but as I said to a white power guy who smiled, you can't rip off people who are only in legends, they needed a treaty to do that. or as my American Uncle used to say, the biggest mistake Maori made was signing a treaty(& not all Iwi did). he used to point out that in the US only one tribe never signed a treaty & though it fought 2 wars against the American nation they are the one tribe who has done much better & never had a reservation from memory
Tania Tones Lawrence
Ken Duncan thank you for that
Frankie Hound
Ken Duncan you might find that this book is written by Frederick Manning. One of the first settlers who married a Ngā Puhi wahine (he was not Māori himself) and who really lived an interesting double life. Old New Zealand is a truly interesting book.
You can find out about its author here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/.../double-life-the-story-of-judge...
Double Life: the story of Judge Frederick Maning - Part 1
RNZ.CO.NZ
Double Life: the story of Judge Frederick Maning - Part 1
Double Life: the story of Judge Frederick Maning - Part 1
Ken Duncan
Frankie Hound F E Manning thats him but haven't seen that story. really good book
Skip Cairns
Ken Duncan Now what I have been led to believe is Maori history has and always been an oral document...............which means a Chinese whisper
Ken Duncan
Skip Cairns oral doesn't mean chinese whispers. both myself my father are known for our memory which you will find quite common amongst descendants of those with oral as opposed to written history. but I do like reading when I can the early settlers or explorers accounts which were not always complimentary or what we would call often racist but then that was how it was viewed at the time but what they did do was record what they heard or saw but have you noticed how over time the story has changed.
Skip Cairns
Ken Duncan yea and now its fine to only give the history that serves instead of anything remotely true.......and racism is endorsed financed and encouraged .........
Ken Duncan
Skip Cairns agree some of it is not good though rebalancing things has to happen in some fashion. I was working with 3 other Maori fellas the day they announced the $950 million for Maori health entity, we looked at each other & started laughing as we won't see a cent of help. it would of been better to just announce other forms of medical treatment including Maori Chinese, Indian, Celtic etc were allowed but will never happen under current system where big pharma rules. here is one for you of the ridiculousness of the current system. Being of Maori descent I can get a loan from Ministry of health to start Rongoa medicine practice but if I claim any health benefits then I get prosecuted. so why give a loan in the first place. clear way of wasting the publics cash & justify a bureaucrats position meanwhile dividing people.
Tamai Sinclair
Ken Duncan Maitai woukd have been Ma’i ta’i, due to the Ngati Hapa (Apa) influence, as is Wataroa, Koiterangi, Mokinui, Mawera. That is the Taranaki dropping of the h.
Ken Duncan
Tamai Sinclair kia Ora cousin but Ngati Apa had not been there by that time I believe. in fact in the dispute between Waewae & Makaawhio my old man referred to several dialect differences that occur mainly in South Westland as opposed to you fella more to the North. lol
Jackie Farrelly
This is so interesting. A young(ish) man living in the North Island, who I know, was telling a family history story of an ancestor who was a whaler. He left the ship in South Westland to marry a local Maori girl. This was prior to the treaty.
Ken Duncan
Jackie Farrelly what was his name? we had a few like John William Bannister , Ernest Wilson to name a couple. Bannister was my great great grandfather, his grandfather was our Tupuna our runanga identify with.. From JOhn's arrival in south westland the oldster son of his line always has the name William in their name. His son many on this site might know often known as "old Bill Bannister" & his sons were Ken & Uncle Jack
Jackie Farrelly
Ken Duncan unfortunately I don't know (cant remember), but I may be seeing him or his dad this weekend so I can ask. If I do see them I will give you a response next week.
Don McIntyre
Years ago vandals broke this beautiful headstone so my uncle bill Munden had it restored
Roger O'Regan
What an interesting monument from our past. Given the era he was a widely travelled man, and must have traversed Cook Straight on ocassions.
I have a print of Cook's map, and the relevant written records.
Cook named the South Island Poen a m m o o. His spacing of the letters, but quite the word is obviously a written version of what he heard.
Incidently, Cook at the time was not a captain, but a Lieutenant.
Ken Duncan
Roger O'Regan that print is the one I used to see in the likes of our encyclopedia so was very interested to see on TV recently (British programme) that same map but it says Te Vy Poenamu that really peaked my interest
Colleen Yee
very interesting, thanks for sharing.
Nova Hichens
Just so interesting,wish there was more to read about the early colonists, instead of reading all the racist write ups.
Russell McIntyre
Samuel Henry Coates was my Great, great, great, great Grandfather.
Heather Fenton
Russell McIntyre and mine too Russell
Don McIntyre
Russell McIntyre me to
Jim Munden
so would have been mine to.I knoe askenbeck is in the family on dads side i think one was dad and bills mother mother
Megan McLean
Jim Munden nana Munden was an Askenbeck before she married pop.
Thank you all for sharing.
Christine Busch
Wow thats a time capsule...
Margaret Young
Stephen John Young time to visit Ahaura?
George Gardner
Roger O'Regan. Cook whilst only having the rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, was indeed Captain of his ship. Still happens today even in our Navy.
Roger O'Regan
George Gardner
Thanks for your comment. As I understood it, he was indeed captain of his ship, but following his early journeys he became recognised as Captain Cook. Whether or not one rank trumps another I don't know, but his book refers to himself as Captain James Cook.
George Gardner
Roger O'Regan. that would have been correct prose in the given situation and particularly where the civilian interest is paramount. In 'Military Jargon' he is known as the 'Officer in Command (Commanding Officer).
Maree Lewis
Thanks for this interesting post, and all who have contributed.
Lynn Rickard
Thank you for sharing this, I think that there is a link to my past also. My grandfather was Frank McIntyre
Gary Cody
Ripe for a TV doco
Joe Rosen
The best people. Just brilliant and not sure what else to say.
Angie Quinn
Samuel Henry Coates is a great (etc!) grandfather on my mothers (Inkster) side.
Lisa Richardson
How interesting. My great, great, great grandfather also witnessed the signing of the Treaty. Samuel Megget Mackley of Waipuna.
Lisa Richardson
Wendy Rodden is Samuel 3 or 4 great's back? I can't remember. Lol
Wendy Rodden
Lisa Richardson 3 back!
Sandra Cross
My mother arrived in Greymouth in 1943. She had learned Maori as a child when living in the Netherton area and she met Mr Kehoe, who was an authority on Maori (amongst other things). they arranged to meet for Maori conversations but this didn't get past the first meetingb as they spoke gtotally different l
Eric McFerran
I love Ahaura as spent many summers there with my cousin Tony Martin 1950-1960’s
Heather Newby
Eric McFerran it gets hot there in summer.. there used to be a lot of mushrooms in the paddocks there too.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspa.../ODT18891030.2.72
Papers Past | Newspapers | Otago Daily Times | 30 October 1889 | DEATH OF AN EARLY NEW ZEALAND PIONEER.
PAPERSPAST.NATLIB.GOVT.NZ
Papers Past | Newspapers | Otago Daily Times | 30 October 1889 | DEATH OF AN EARLY NEW ZEALAND PIONEER.
Papers Past | Newspapers | Otago Daily Times | 30 October 1889 | DEATH OF AN EARLY NEW ZEALAND PIONEER.
Reply1d
Slarti Bartfast
Frankie Hound what a very interesting insight to his life, thank you for the share.
Cherie Mortensen
Frankie Hound What amazing history! Went with Real Journey’s down South Westland, while the scenery was outstanding, the history of Cook, his adventures and his encounters with the local Maori showed a different kind of people of the wild Westland. I love history! Thank you very much very thought provoking!
Ken Duncan
there is a book called Old New Zealand by one of the original Pakeha Maori, i have a copy somewhere where things were quite different than claimed ie he experienced Utu which is payment by another name where the hapu he was attached too was raided by another but to stop it continuing in a tit for tat fashion, his hapu took a few items of his house silverware for example for each visitor. so Utu was satisfied. As someone of South Westland Maori extraction I have taken a great interest in how early peoples to NZ recorded things. whilst by todays standards they were not always great they did record things as they saw them & it seems both sides these days make a lot of false claims. one particular one that I regret not having the cash to buy at the time was a journal by one of the early explorers assistant whom recorded for example that the local dialect in south Westland was very different & the river was called Maitai(& as he recorded in brackets Mahitahi as pronounced by their guide). Coates book had he finished it would of been very very interesting
Martin Kahui
Ken Duncan Thats called a muru I think, the surrounding hapus taking retribution
Ken Duncan
Martin Kahui not according to the Pakeha/ Maori's account written prior to the treaty that was Utu. it has many meanings
Martin Kahui
Ken Duncan Here's one from Taranaki in 1873...
https://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/.../The_great_muru%2C.../p1
Journal of the Polynesian Society: The Great Muru, By A Taranaki Veteran, P 97-102
JPS.AUCKLAND.AC.NZ
Journal of the Polynesian Society: The Great Muru, By A Taranaki Veteran, P 97-102
Journal of the Polynesian Society: The Great Muru, By A Taranaki Veteran, P 97-102
Martin Kahui
Ken Duncan Taharua is another one who was molested and plundered (robbed and beaten) for letting his daughter marry Paoa
Ken Duncan
Martin Kahui so a local dialect really. with South Westland for example we know this from our dialect that we had L's, G's in that the Kiekie was known as giegie & large eels were known as Tuna Lako & seeing an original of Cooks map which I have seen before but usually written on the south island is Te Wai Poenamu but this Brit programme had a copy with Te Vy Poenamu I just note on those early europeans recorded Utu meaning several things. here is another example southern NZ including around Wellington it was never called a hangi but an umu which is why we have Paraparaumu or the ovens of ;blue clay, Parapara been the southern word for what today most people call papa
Tania Tones Lawrence
Ken Duncan I have heard in the past, 70's & 80's from my Maori relations that different regions had/have different dialects? I'm interested to know how Te Reo came about and does everyone, Maori from different regions, understand it? Especially older people? Does it translate easy for them? My Uncle and Aunty put a lot of time into teaching us primary school kids in the late 70's, songs, movements, poi, sticks etc. It was great! Thanks for your time.
Rick Giles
Tania Tones Lawrence Yes, different dialects. They even had different Matariki.
So much for diversity. They've been rolled over by just 1 that managed to align itself with government money and quietly suppress the rest!
Stephen John Young
Ken Duncan You are correct. Hana O'Regan will back you on this! Other examples I can think of are Otago, mategouri (the plant), Waihola, and Katiki (near Moeraki) should actually be Katigi.
Ken Duncan
Tania Tones Lawrence your on to it Tania. think of here in Canterbury there is an area that everyone calls Mutton now but its spelt Motunau , I think if you look at it there is no way you would get the first from the second unless that is how the locals were pronouncing it. but all we hear is it is a bastardized version. Maori also told the early settlers that there were people here when they arrived & even Waitaha say they were people here when they arrived here under Maui but as I said to a white power guy who smiled, you can't rip off people who are only in legends, they needed a treaty to do that. or as my American Uncle used to say, the biggest mistake Maori made was signing a treaty(& not all Iwi did). he used to point out that in the US only one tribe never signed a treaty & though it fought 2 wars against the American nation they are the one tribe who has done much better & never had a reservation from memory
Tania Tones Lawrence
Ken Duncan thank you for that
Frankie Hound
Ken Duncan you might find that this book is written by Frederick Manning. One of the first settlers who married a Ngā Puhi wahine (he was not Māori himself) and who really lived an interesting double life. Old New Zealand is a truly interesting book.
You can find out about its author here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/.../double-life-the-story-of-judge...
Double Life: the story of Judge Frederick Maning - Part 1
RNZ.CO.NZ
Double Life: the story of Judge Frederick Maning - Part 1
Double Life: the story of Judge Frederick Maning - Part 1
Ken Duncan
Frankie Hound F E Manning thats him but haven't seen that story. really good book
Skip Cairns
Ken Duncan Now what I have been led to believe is Maori history has and always been an oral document...............which means a Chinese whisper
Ken Duncan
Skip Cairns oral doesn't mean chinese whispers. both myself my father are known for our memory which you will find quite common amongst descendants of those with oral as opposed to written history. but I do like reading when I can the early settlers or explorers accounts which were not always complimentary or what we would call often racist but then that was how it was viewed at the time but what they did do was record what they heard or saw but have you noticed how over time the story has changed.
Skip Cairns
Ken Duncan yea and now its fine to only give the history that serves instead of anything remotely true.......and racism is endorsed financed and encouraged .........
Ken Duncan
Skip Cairns agree some of it is not good though rebalancing things has to happen in some fashion. I was working with 3 other Maori fellas the day they announced the $950 million for Maori health entity, we looked at each other & started laughing as we won't see a cent of help. it would of been better to just announce other forms of medical treatment including Maori Chinese, Indian, Celtic etc were allowed but will never happen under current system where big pharma rules. here is one for you of the ridiculousness of the current system. Being of Maori descent I can get a loan from Ministry of health to start Rongoa medicine practice but if I claim any health benefits then I get prosecuted. so why give a loan in the first place. clear way of wasting the publics cash & justify a bureaucrats position meanwhile dividing people.
Tamai Sinclair
Ken Duncan Maitai woukd have been Ma’i ta’i, due to the Ngati Hapa (Apa) influence, as is Wataroa, Koiterangi, Mokinui, Mawera. That is the Taranaki dropping of the h.
Ken Duncan
Tamai Sinclair kia Ora cousin but Ngati Apa had not been there by that time I believe. in fact in the dispute between Waewae & Makaawhio my old man referred to several dialect differences that occur mainly in South Westland as opposed to you fella more to the North. lol
Jackie Farrelly
This is so interesting. A young(ish) man living in the North Island, who I know, was telling a family history story of an ancestor who was a whaler. He left the ship in South Westland to marry a local Maori girl. This was prior to the treaty.
Ken Duncan
Jackie Farrelly what was his name? we had a few like John William Bannister , Ernest Wilson to name a couple. Bannister was my great great grandfather, his grandfather was our Tupuna our runanga identify with.. From JOhn's arrival in south westland the oldster son of his line always has the name William in their name. His son many on this site might know often known as "old Bill Bannister" & his sons were Ken & Uncle Jack
Jackie Farrelly
Ken Duncan unfortunately I don't know (cant remember), but I may be seeing him or his dad this weekend so I can ask. If I do see them I will give you a response next week.
Don McIntyre
Years ago vandals broke this beautiful headstone so my uncle bill Munden had it restored
Roger O'Regan
What an interesting monument from our past. Given the era he was a widely travelled man, and must have traversed Cook Straight on ocassions.
I have a print of Cook's map, and the relevant written records.
Cook named the South Island Poen a m m o o. His spacing of the letters, but quite the word is obviously a written version of what he heard.
Incidently, Cook at the time was not a captain, but a Lieutenant.
Ken Duncan
Roger O'Regan that print is the one I used to see in the likes of our encyclopedia so was very interested to see on TV recently (British programme) that same map but it says Te Vy Poenamu that really peaked my interest
Colleen Yee
very interesting, thanks for sharing.
Nova Hichens
Just so interesting,wish there was more to read about the early colonists, instead of reading all the racist write ups.
Russell McIntyre
Samuel Henry Coates was my Great, great, great, great Grandfather.
Heather Fenton
Russell McIntyre and mine too Russell
Don McIntyre
Russell McIntyre me to
Jim Munden
so would have been mine to.I knoe askenbeck is in the family on dads side i think one was dad and bills mother mother
Megan McLean
Jim Munden nana Munden was an Askenbeck before she married pop.
Thank you all for sharing.
Christine Busch
Wow thats a time capsule...
Margaret Young
Stephen John Young time to visit Ahaura?
George Gardner
Roger O'Regan. Cook whilst only having the rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, was indeed Captain of his ship. Still happens today even in our Navy.
Roger O'Regan
George Gardner
Thanks for your comment. As I understood it, he was indeed captain of his ship, but following his early journeys he became recognised as Captain Cook. Whether or not one rank trumps another I don't know, but his book refers to himself as Captain James Cook.
George Gardner
Roger O'Regan. that would have been correct prose in the given situation and particularly where the civilian interest is paramount. In 'Military Jargon' he is known as the 'Officer in Command (Commanding Officer).
Maree Lewis
Thanks for this interesting post, and all who have contributed.
Lynn Rickard
Thank you for sharing this, I think that there is a link to my past also. My grandfather was Frank McIntyre
Gary Cody
Ripe for a TV doco
Joe Rosen
The best people. Just brilliant and not sure what else to say.
Angie Quinn
Samuel Henry Coates is a great (etc!) grandfather on my mothers (Inkster) side.
Lisa Richardson
How interesting. My great, great, great grandfather also witnessed the signing of the Treaty. Samuel Megget Mackley of Waipuna.
Lisa Richardson
Wendy Rodden is Samuel 3 or 4 great's back? I can't remember. Lol
Wendy Rodden
Lisa Richardson 3 back!
Sandra Cross
My mother arrived in Greymouth in 1943. She had learned Maori as a child when living in the Netherton area and she met Mr Kehoe, who was an authority on Maori (amongst other things). they arranged to meet for Maori conversations but this didn't get past the first meetingb as they spoke gtotally different l
Eric McFerran
I love Ahaura as spent many summers there with my cousin Tony Martin 1950-1960’s
Heather Newby
Eric McFerran it gets hot there in summer.. there used to be a lot of mushrooms in the paddocks there too.
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West Coast New Zealand History (10th Mar 2024). An interesting Headstone at Ahaura Cemetery - note the Waitangi reference.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 31st Mar 2026 08:44, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/32516