page_title: Ngāti Te Wehi
section_title: Aotea Wesleyan Mission School and farm
hierarchical_section_title: Ngāti Te Wehi / History / Aotea Wesleyan Mission School and farm
caption_attribution_description: English: The station opened in 1844. The school closed in 1904. The memorial plaque dates from 1957
context_page_description: Ngāti Te Wehi or Ngāti Te Weehi is a Māori iwi based in Kawhia on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island.
  According to the 1874 census, Ngati Te Wehi were registered as an iwi. They are the principle iwi of the Aotea Harbour iwi, with close ties and connections with Ngati Reko, Ngati Mahuta, Ngati Whawhakia], Ngati Patupo, Ngati Te Uru and Ngati Mahanga. Ngāti Te Wehi also have historical connections with Ngāti Hauā, Ngati Whatua, Ngati Koata, Ngati Toa Rangatira, Ngati Mutunga, Ngati Ruanui, Ngati Tahinga, Ngati Paipai, Ngati Paiaka, Ngati Rangitauwwaro, Ngati Whare, Ngati Koura, Ngati Hourua, Te Wehiwhakaruru and Ngati Peehi. The Aotea Moana iwi all consider Mt Karioi and her Husband Karewa or Gannet Island to be sacred. Ngāti Te Wehi have tribal holdings in Te Taitokerau, Ngati Maniapoto and Aotea.
context_section_description: By 1840 here were now 3 Wesleyan Missions in the area, Waiharakeke the site of the first Wesleyan Mission Station established by John Whiteley in April 1835.(Te Waitere)  Kawhia, Raglan 1839 and now Te Kopua 1840 but not one with the Ngāti Te Wehi at Aotea Harbor.
  So at around the time of signing the Treaty Kawhia Hōne Waitere Te Aotūroa Rangatira of Ngāti Te Wehi, Hapu Ngāti Paiaka of Aotea Harbor lovingly persuaded Rev. John Bumby the Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church to set up a mission in Aotea Harbour, site of the landing of the Aotea Canoe and of an ancient Pa. On the northern side 844 acres were gifted to the Wesleyans for a boys’ school and mission station & the non-maori speaking Rev H.Hansen.Turton was re-appointed to that area.
  In 1843 Rev. Gideon Smales was appointed to replace Rev Turton. Smales raised funding for the mission station, travelling extensively to do so & 95% of contributions were from maori. On 29 January 1844 Gideon Smales landed at Raoraokauere on the northern side of the Aotea Harbour and proceeded to build his mission – which he called BEECHAMDALE. So a farm & school had been established growing wheat "In 1844, they reaped throughout the Circuit not more than twenty acres of wheat...in 1845, about eighty...in 1846, one hundred and fifty...and this year they will reap about two hundred acres of wheat besides a small patch of oats, and another of barley.
  A good portion of their wheat has been sold to traders for calico, and print, and sent to Auckland, and other Anglo-New Zealand towns by small vessels. They have used what they retained for their own consumption, in some cases, by simply boiling the wheat; in others, as kororirori, or boiled flour and water; (with sugar, when it could be obtained) and very often in the form of bread.
  The school opened in 1898 and appears to have closed by July 1904, due to sickness of its teachers, though a replacement was appointed in April that year.
caption: Plaque on the site of Raoraokauere mission station
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