Page 1 of 12 Thorndon Society · Not a great deal is known about the life of Thomas Clapham. It is said that his father emigrated from England to manage the first bond store in Wellington

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THORNDON NEWS | NEWSLETTER 170, ISSN 0112-3424 | online ISSN 2463-476X, 2017

Thorndon Society Newsletter of the Thorndon Society Inc.

Working with the community for Thorndon's heritage since 1973

NEWSLETTER 170, ISSN 0112-3424 | online ISSN 2463-476X, Mar 2017

Contents CLAPHAM'S PADDOCK ........................................................................................ 2

PATANGA HILL GROUP NEEDS NEW BLOOD ......................................... 6

DEMOLITION SITE 61 MOLESWORTH STREET ....................................... 6

LARRIKINISM ON TINAKORI ROAD ............................................................. 8

THORNDON YESTERDAY AND TODAY ...................................................... 9

THE THORNDON SOCIETY ............................................................................10

AGM NOTICE, TUESDAY 28 MARCH 2017 ..................................................11

Drawing – Allan Morse Architect -1974

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CLAPHAM'S PADDOCK Today Thorndon has the Stadium but 150 years ago its equivalent was Clapham's Paddock.

When I came across an old newspaper report of sailors and marines marching from the waterfront to Clapham's Paddock to drill, it roused my curiosity. Who was Clapham, where was his paddock and what was its history?

It did not take long to home-in on the general location as the military connections were a give - away. Near the centre of today's Fitzherbert Terrace and a little to the north, on land since excavated for the motorway stood the Thorndon Barracks. The Barracks had been used by the British army and local militias since the 1840s and there was reason to believe that a drill-field or parade ground was located nearby.

The Thorndon Barracks Reserve as it was called covered an area of some 5 hectares (approximately 13 acres) in a block of 10 original Town Acre lots bounded by Hobson Street to the east, Murphy and Molesworth Streets to the west and Tinakori Road to the north.

As part of Wakefield's settlement plan for Wellington this block was originally set aside as a Native Reserve but the agreement was soon dishonoured. In the early 1850s Governor, Sir George Grey dubiously issued Crown Grants to

various trustees for the establishment of a grammar school and hospital. At the time, Maori claims were dismissed as being absurd and vexatious. After the military had vacated the site the trustees, in 1872, commenced a subdivision of the land for residential purposes. It was a valuable development on prime land which was reflected in the fact that new owners were committed to building houses of no less than £400, a huge sum in those days.

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It is only in recent times, through the Port Nicholson Block Treaty claim process, that the Crown finally acknowledged that the land had been appropriated and alienated without consultation or consent and that this had prejudicially affected the beneficial Maori owners for generations. Prior to the residential subdivision around 1850 the Hospital Trustees leased approximately half an acre of land for the establishment of a hotel on the Molesworth Street frontage. In 1853 Thomas Henry Clapham purchased the hotel then known as the Queen's Head and its attached residence. If the hotel remained today it would be above the motorway off-ramp to Murphy Street.

Not a great deal is known about the life of Thomas Clapham. It is said that his father emigrated from England to manage the first bond store in Wellington which probably explains why Thomas and other Clapham's in his extended family were in the liquor trade. Thomas was a married man with children and lived initially next to his hotel. By all accounts he was an astute and successful businessman. In 1858 he purchased Town Acres 650 and 651 on the north side of Park Street where he lived in later life. When these lots were eventually sold they contained a total of seven residences and sites for a further nine dwellings. Thomas also had farming and gold mining interests. He died on 18 August 1881 and was buried in the Bolton Street cemetery. The connection of Clapham with the Barrack Reserve was clear but the next thing was to identify and confirm the location of his paddock. This was aided by the photograph below taken in January 1870 showing the Barrack Reserve, the open land surrounding the Barracks buildings (marked B).

A view of the Barrack Reserve looking south towards the harbour. From left to right the features of interest are: (A) Hobson Street, (B) The Barracks, (C) St Pauls Cathedral, (D) The Queen's Head Hotel and residence, (E) Murphy Street, (F) Tinakori Road, Photo courtesy of the National Library (Ref 1/2-029084)

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Today the land is occupied by Queen Margaret College on the Hobson Street side and the American Embassy on the Murphy Street side. The middle portion around Katherine Avenue is now the grass courts of the Thorndon Tennis Club and some private residences.

The land leased by Thomas Clapham as it appears today. (A) The location of the Queen’s Head Hotel, (B) American Embassy, (C) Tennis Club grass courts, (D) Queen Margaret College. Photo courtesy of the WCC.

Precisely why Clapham leased this land is not known. When he first took the lease it was probably used for the grazing of stock, but as time went by there were increasing demands for the land to be used for recreational purposes. By Wellington standards the land was flat and easily accessible from the town. Because the gully of the Taikiwai stream narrowed the usable area at the Hobson Street end it is thought that most of the recreational activities would have taken place on the wider and slightly higher southern end fronting Murphy Street. This area also adjoined the Queen's Head, ideally positioned to provide refreshments.

From at least 1864 the paddock was regularly used for cricket during the summer months. The first record is of a match between the married and singles of Thorndon Flat and many other games between club and company sides followed. The local I Zingari Club, perhaps emulating the famous English club of the same name, featured prominently for a time.

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The high point of cricket on Clapham's Paddock was undoubtedly the inter-provincial match between Wellington and Nelson played on 18 February 1867 which Wellington won by 56 runs. The match is listed in the official cricket records and identifies Clapham's Paddock as the venue. It was a big day for the city with upwards of 800 spectators at the ground and the city band entertained the crowd. However, it was reported that the paddock was very unsuitable for cricket, being on a slope and rather broken. It was only chosen because no better ground was available.

The paddock was also used for other sporting events including athletics, archery and on the odd occasions, tilting, vaulting and jingling matches. In 1868 there was a famous two-mile race between a man called Wyeth, a well know runner from Upper Hutt, and another, only identified as “The Unknown”. The race was for a prize of £30 which was a sizable sum at the time. Wyeth won easily but only because, it is said, “The Unknown” missed a marker on the last lap and lost ground by having to double back. The following year saw the first visit of a member of the Royal family to the colony and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh came to Clapham's Paddock. On his way to the Hutt, driving his own carriage, he stopped to greet the crowd and watch a haka performed by several hundred Maori. There was some disappointment that the crowd was smaller than expected because there had been uncertainties over negotiations for the payment for the 'war dance' and this affected publicity for the event.

In the last few years before the paddock was subdivided football was also played on the ground. This was not rugby as we know it today but a mixture of Association and what was called Victorian or Melbourne Rules. The games were popular and the ground was said to be a scene of enlivenment every Saturday afternoon. It was not until the newly formed Wellington Club was debating what form of rules to adopt that on Saturday 1 July 1871 some twenty-five players gathered at Clapham's Paddock to trial the new Rugby rules. It was not a very auspicious start because the ground was in a very sloppy state and few players knew the rules but Clapham's Paddock still retains the distinction of being the site of the first rugby match in the city. Following the residential development of Clapham's Paddock there was a long debate about the provision of a suitable recreation ground for Thorndon. This was not resolved until the completion of Anderson Park. Today the grass courts of the Thorndon Tennis Club remain as the only reminder of Thorndon's first recreation ground. So, next time you are strolling in the area spare a thought for Thomas Clapham and the paddock that bore his name.

Brett McKay

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PATANGA HILL GROUP NEEDS NEW BLOOD Keeping the native trees of Ahumairangi Healthy

We are always looking for new volunteers to help us save the Northern Walkway Bush from Clematis Vitalba, the dreaded Old Man’s Beard.

If you’re new to Thorndon... If you like gardening and planting natives and meeting like-minded friends the Patanga Hill Group might appeal to you. We meet about six times a year up on Tinakori Hill in the Northern Walkway between Patanga Crescent Meadow and Elephant Rock.

Once a year we plant a variety of natives and on other occasions we make sure our little darlings are not being strangled by blackberry, old man’s beard,

cape ivy, convolvulus and other horrors. We’ve been doing it for ten years, helped by the Wellington City Council.

Last work-day four of us struggled against these stranglers until the sweat was dripping off our noses. But it’s not always as strenuous as that. There are gentle jobs for many. And it’s lovely to see Rata, Titoki, Wharangi, Matai, Puriri, Kahikatea and many others flourishing. But we do need your help. We need new blood!

If you are interested, please contact our co-ordinator, Dinah Priestley: [email protected] or phone 04-4727257.

DEMOLITION SITE 61 MOLESWORTH STREET Following the 14 November earthquake and subsequent demolition of the office building at 61 Molesworth Street (originally ICI House) I thought it would be interesting to take a quick look at the history of the site.

The demolition site sits within what was Town Acre 565, originally selected in 1840 by Samuel Revans. Revans was a notable early settler involved in various business ventures including the establishment of the New Zealand Gazette, the first newspaper in the country. He has been called the Father of Journalism in

mailto:[email protected]

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New Zealand. Later the Town Acre was acquired by Edward Catchpool, another early settler who had arrived in Wellington on the Oriental. Catchpool was a printer by trade but in 1847 took a Government job and eventually retired as Collector of Customs in Napier. He died in 1874.

Over the years, Town Acre 565 was progressively subdivided into ten small lots of around 350m² in area. The sites were used for various retail, service and residential purposes. Molesworth Street as one of the main transport routes through the city was seen as a choice location to serve not only Thorndon but also wider city populations and properties were sought after for this reason. Among the uses established were green grocers, butchers, bakers, confectioners, booksellers, auctioneers and plumbers.

One use of particular note was the bakery on the second lot south of Collina Terrace. The earliest records reveal that the bakery was established around

1870 by William Freeman, a well-known caterer and confectioner in the city. The bakery use continued in one form or another until ICI House was constructed in the early 1960s, a period close to 100 years.

Frontage of the former ICI House site ca 1932 looking south from Pipitea Street towards Hill Street. Note the Poneke Bakery to the right of the power pole. Photo Courtesy of the National Library (Ref:180351/1)

During the 1950s and 1960s the old Molesworth Street lots were amalgamated and the existing one and two storied heritage buildings demolished to make way for new office developments and Government buildings. ICI House occupied just over half of the original Town Acre 565.

Today, the Back-Bencher (originally the Wellington Hotel) is the only reminder of the early commercial development in Molesworth Street.

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LARRIKINISM ON TINAKORI ROAD For some light relief here is a letter found in a file at Archives New Zealand from Mr Chas Webb of Tinakori Road. The letter dated 9 September 1896 was addressed to the Prime Minister.

The Honourable R Seddon

Dear Sir

Excuse the liberty I take in addressing you but as you introduced a bill to enable you to deal with larrikinism or gathering together of hooligans I respectfully ask if it is not possible to do something to prevent the gathering of a horde of young rascals against the fence of the Ministerial residence here (Tinakori Rd). You are probably aware that the said fence stands back from the line of street some 6 or 7 feet and it being low with a good capping on top affords a fine place for mount and sit and bang their heels against the iron. One dare not remonstrate as they are sure to be insolent and when night comes volleys of stones are thrown upon the houses as I have experienced and a policeman is never seen in this locality now I respectfully suggest that if you cannot place the fence on the line of the street you will kindly take steps to remove the nuisance.

I remain Yours respectively Chas F Webb

Also on file was a short report to the Police Commissioner from Constable Robert Darby at the Thorndon Police Station. It is assumed that this provided the basis of a reply to Mr Webb.

I respectfully report that I have not seen any boys sitting on the fence alluded to. No doubt a number of boys do congregate about this locality in the evenings playing marbles and other noisy games, but I always chase them away when I see them there. It is impossible to keep boys off the streets as when they are hunted from one street they go to another. With reference to Mr Webb’s statement “that a Policeman is never seen in this locality” it is a fact that I pass this place four and often six times a day when going and returning off duty.

Robt Darby, Const No 195

Iron fence, Premier House ca 1880. Photo courtesy of the National Library (Ref: 1/2-118890-F)

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THORNDON YESTERDAY AND TODAY

This house called “Fernbank” on Tinakori Road was the childhood home of Elsdon Best who became a renowned NZ ethnologist and Maori scholar. The Best family moved to Tinakori Road from Tawa in 1865 when Elsdon was aged 9 and he attended Thorndon School. The precise location of the house was a mystery until its position was determined by the identification of the house known as “The Anchorage” at what is today 31 Patanga Crescent. This can be seen directly above “Fernbank”. Photo from the Walter Best Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library (Ref: PA1-q-028-35-2).

The “Fernbank” site, (374 Tinakori Road) is now occupied by Begonia Flats, a modernist block erected in 1962. Patanga Crescent (originally named Karori Crescent) to the rear of the flats was created as the result of a subdivision in 1893 and opened the land for development. Unfortunately few ferns can be seen in the area today.


THE THORNDON SOCIETY The Thorndon Society was established in 1973 in response to the destruction of a large part of Thorndon for the construction of the Urban Motorway. The primary focus of the Society is to protect and preserve what remains of Thorndon's heritage and to maintain its residential character. The Society has been particularly active in opposing the further loss of heritage housing stock, the conversion of houses to non-residential use and the 'creep' of commercial uses into the suburb from the Central Area zone.

The Society also works to promote an interest in, and knowledge of, Thorndon's heritage through the publication of our newsletter and other initiatives such as the Notable Homes Plaques Project.

Thorndon Society Website The website address is www.thorndonsociety.wordpress.com

Membership

You can apply for membership online or by contacting any of the committee (see below). The fees are $15 individual Thorndon resident, $20 Thorndon household or non-resident or $50 corporate. The subscription year runs from January to December.

Newsletter Donations

Any donations to support the printing of the newsletter will be gratefully received.

You can pay online to our account at 060565-0028561-00. Please include your name and “Newsletter” in the reference field.

Thorndon Society Contacts

PO Box 12-398, Thorndon, Wellington 6144 | [email protected]

Convenor: Bruce Lynch, phone 04-473-6000 Secretary: Grant Strachan, phone 04-472-7110 Treasurer: Tony Burton, phone 04 4727257 Newsletter Editor: Brett McKay, phone 04 9720280 Advertising: Judith Hatton, phone 04 4733753 Newsletter Layout Haritina Mogosanu, www.milky-way.kiwi

http://www.thorndonsociety.wordpress.com/


http://www.milky-way.kiwi/


AGM NOTICE, TUESDAY 28 MARCH 2017

The AGM of the Thorndon Society for 2017 will be held on Tuesday 28 March. The venue is the Adult Education Centre, 192 Tinakori Road (entrance is through the rear carpark off Poplar Grove). The meeting will commence at 7.30 pm.

All members of the Thorndon Society, Thorndon residents and other interested persons are warmly invited to attend. This is your opportunity to meet the Committee and hopefully your Ward Councillors to discuss Thorndon issues and the Society's role.

Please send any apologies to the Secretary by phone on 044727110 or email [email protected]

If you have a real passion for protecting Thorndon’s heritage and are interested in joining the Committee please contact one of the committee members to find out what is involved.


THORNDON NEWS | NEWSLETTER 170, ISSN 0112‐3424 | online ISSN 2463‐476X, 2017

29/04/2017

Newsletter printed by Rapid Copy Ltd, 191B Thorndon Quay, 04/4712537

Documents

Page 1 of 12 Thorndon Society · Not a great deal is known about the life of Thomas Clapham. It is said that his father emigrated from England to manage the first bond store in Wellington