Hellhole of the Pacific no more

So what has this lady to do with the story of Russell? And what is she doing?
Read on . . .

Kororareka, as Russell was originally named, was the first place in New Zealand to be settled by Europeans. There were already several Maori tribes established there, who in the early 19th century allowed outsiders to settle. Because of its large bay and good sea access, it soon became a magnet for rough elements, such as fleeing convicts, whalers and drunken sailors. By the 1830s, dozens of whaling ships were anchored in the harbour. Charles Darwin described it in 1835 as full of 'the refuse of society'.

It is difficult now to imagine scenes of debauchery and lawlessness along such a peaceful waterfront. In fact the rather posh hotel, the Duke of Marlborough, by the wharf, holds New Zealand's Number 1 licence dated July 1840. The licensee John Johnson, a time-expired convict, established a grog shop on this site in 1827.

The savage and drunken behaviour of the 1830s served as an open invitation to missionaries, who gradually won over a sizeable congregation. A French Catholic Mission, headed by Bishop Pompallier, established its headquarters in Kororareka. They soon realised that, to head off competition from other churches and to appeal to the locals, they needed to print their own books in the Maori language. In 1842 the missionaries built, using an old French construction method known as pise de terre (rammed earth). There at Pompallier they established a printery and tannery and throughout the 1840s this building stored mission supplies, tanned leather and printed and bound religious texts in the Maori language.

Although at one point it became a private house, Pompallier has now been restored to what it was in 1842 and is open to the public. A guided tour takes you through the tannery and printing works with demonstrations of each process. Quite fascinating.

Here, our tour guide Helen demonstrates the composing of a line of type in a stick, using of course letters from the upper case and lower case and being careful to mind her ps and qs. She is an amazing lady, so knowledgeable and approachable; a wonderful person who loves her job and infects people with her enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, what happened to the settlement of Kororareka?
After the signing of the Treaty of Waitanga in 1840, the settlement became the capital of New Zealand, until the governor fell out with the Maori and the local people. He then moved to Auckland and established this as the capital. During fighting between the Maori and the Europeans in the ensuing years, the settlement was destroyed and more or less abandoned. Only Pompallier and Christ Church survived, so making them the oldest buildings in the town.

Eventually a new settlement rose from the ashes with the name of Russell and grew slowly around its beachfront into the tranquil village of today. Today, although the wharf is often busy with day-trippers (and is occasionally like today besieged by escapees from cruise ships anchored offshore!), the only sea craft to use it now are passenger ferries, tour boats and yachts.