title: The discovery of the Waiorongomai goldfield in 1881

authors: Hart, Philip

abstract: The first reports of gold being found in the vicinity of the Waiorongomai Stream were made in early November 1880, and after the opening of the goldfield a small rush took place to this part of the mountain. The first claims were pegged out in December and the following January, encouraged by some gold being found, but few claims were registered, for most prospectors were quickly disappointed. Prospecting was difficult because of the rugged terrain and heavy bush, and interest quickly faded.
Then, in early October, Hone Werahiko announced his latest and best find and provided samples of payable ore taken from a large reef. Immense excitement ensued, as this was the first payable reef to be found, and after Werahiko led miners on an exhausting trip to his ‘New Find’ a rush set in and many claims were pegged out. The first official to inspect the ground anticipated that the reefs could be easily worked, once an access track was constructed. The small settlement of Te Aroha was revived because a real goldfield had been found, at last.

text: The discovery of the Waiorongomai goldfield in 1881 The first reports of gold being found in the vicinity of the Waiorongomai Stream were made in early November 1880, and after the opening of the goldfield a small rush took place to this part of the mountain. The first claims were pegged out in December and the following January, encouraged by some gold being found, but few claims were registered, for most prospectors were quickly disappointed. Prospecting was difficult because of the rugged terrain and heavy bush, and interest quickly faded.
Then, in early October, Hone Werahiko announced his latest and best find and provided samples of payable ore taken from a large reef. Immense excitement ensued, as this was the first payable reef to be found, and after Werahiko led miners on an exhausting trip to his ‘New Find’ a rush set in and many claims were pegged out. The first official to inspect the ground anticipated that the reefs could be easily worked, once an access track was constructed. The small settlement of Te Aroha was revived because a real goldfield had been found, at last.

year: 2016

title: Upoko Tapu, Upoko Whakakapowai, Upoko Hokona

authors: Gabel, Robert Rutene Whakaangi

subjects: Ngāpuhi

abstract: Ngāpuhi, a confederation of Māori iwi (tribes) from Te Tai Tokerau, the northern region of Aotearoa, is the largest iwi of New Zealand. They were one of the first iwi to come into contact with Europeans in the early 19th century. During this period of contact, particularly between the years 1820 – 1831, Ngāpuhi had a devastating impact on the history of Māori, as they amassed a fighting force of some two thousand warriors and acquired the use of European firearms. Ngāpuhi then circumnavigated the North Island, waging war on coastal and inland tribes with the purpose of avenging past defeats and losses suffered at the hands of their traditional enemies. This objective was ultimately achieved, but this period of war also saw the emergence of another key event in Māori history, the beginning of the trade in what we now call toi moko, which were used to trade with Europeans for muskets. 

Given that Māori have always regarded the head as the most tapu part of the human anatomy, this thesis investigates and explores what effect or influence tikanga and tapu had on this trade. It further studies some of the rationales which allowed Ngāpuhi to override that sacred tradition and move into the trade of toi moko. This thesis argues that Ngāpuhi did not desecrate tapu in the selling and trading of toi moko but took advantage of another long-standing tradition that the tapu of the vanquished ceased to exist upon his death. Lastly, it argues that the trade in toi moko was necessary to ensure the safety and continuity of the Ngāpuhi iwi.

text: Upoko Tapu, Upoko Whakakapowai, Upoko Hokona Ngāpuhi, a confederation of Māori iwi (tribes) from Te Tai Tokerau, the northern region of Aotearoa, is the largest iwi of New Zealand. They were one of the first iwi to come into contact with Europeans in the early 19th century. During this period of contact, particularly between the years 1820 – 1831, Ngāpuhi had a devastating impact on the history of Māori, as they amassed a fighting force of some two thousand warriors and acquired the use of European firearms. Ngāpuhi then circumnavigated the North Island, waging war on coastal and inland tribes with the purpose of avenging past defeats and losses suffered at the hands of their traditional enemies. This objective was ultimately achieved, but this period of war also saw the emergence of another key event in Māori history, the beginning of the trade in what we now call toi moko, which were used to trade with Europeans for muskets. 

Given that Māori have always regarded the head as the most tapu part of the human anatomy, this thesis investigates and explores what effect or influence tikanga and tapu had on this trade. It further studies some of the rationales which allowed Ngāpuhi to override that sacred tradition and move into the trade of toi moko. This thesis argues that Ngāpuhi did not desecrate tapu in the selling and trading of toi moko but took advantage of another long-standing tradition that the tapu of the vanquished ceased to exist upon his death. Lastly, it argues that the trade in toi moko was necessary to ensure the safety and continuity of the Ngāpuhi iwi.

year: 2012

title: Contribution of soil bacteria to the atmosphere across biomes

authors: Archer, Stephen D.J.

subjects: Atmospheric microbiology

abstract: The dispersion of microorganisms through the atmosphere is a continual and essential process that underpins biogeography and ecosystem development and function. Despite the ubiquity of atmospheric microorganisms globally, specific knowledge of the determinants of atmospheric microbial diversity at any given location remains unresolved. Here we describe bacterial diversity in the atmospheric boundary layer and underlying soil at twelve globally distributed locations encompassing all major biomes, and characterise the contribution of local and distant soils to the observed atmospheric community. Across biomes the diversity of bacteria in the atmosphere was negatively correlated with mean annual precipitation but positively correlated to mean annual temperature. We identified distinct non-randomly assembled atmosphere and soil communities from each location, and some broad trends persisted across biomes including the enrichment of desiccation and UV tolerant taxa in the atmospheric community. Source tracking revealed that local soils were more influential than distant soil sources in determining observed diversity in the atmosphere, with more emissive semi-arid and arid biomes contributing most to signatures from distant soil. Our findings highlight complexities in the atmospheric microbiota that are relevant to understanding regional and global ecosystem connectivity.

text: Contribution of soil bacteria to the atmosphere across biomes The dispersion of microorganisms through the atmosphere is a continual and essential process that underpins biogeography and ecosystem development and function. Despite the ubiquity of atmospheric microorganisms globally, specific knowledge of the determinants of atmospheric microbial diversity at any given location remains unresolved. Here we describe bacterial diversity in the atmospheric boundary layer and underlying soil at twelve globally distributed locations encompassing all major biomes, and characterise the contribution of local and distant soils to the observed atmospheric community. Across biomes the diversity of bacteria in the atmosphere was negatively correlated with mean annual precipitation but positively correlated to mean annual temperature. We identified distinct non-randomly assembled atmosphere and soil communities from each location, and some broad trends persisted across biomes including the enrichment of desiccation and UV tolerant taxa in the atmospheric community. Source tracking revealed that local soils were more influential than distant soil sources in determining observed diversity in the atmosphere, with more emissive semi-arid and arid biomes contributing most to signatures from distant soil. Our findings highlight complexities in the atmospheric microbiota that are relevant to understanding regional and global ecosystem connectivity.

year: 2023-02-10