Yates Samuel Ngawini 1880 1900

edmondsallan - Hello - When " Samuel " first visited " Parengarenga " in the 1860's most of the land when Samuel Yates first visited Parengarenga in the early 1860s, the surrounding country was largely covered in fern and scrub. Over time he and Ngawini transformed a good deal of their estates into pasture, which was soon stocked with sheep, horses and 2,000 head of cattle. Some 350 kauri-gum diggers, Maori and European, also ranged over large areas of their land, and the extensive amount of gum they obtained was traded at the Parengarenga store. During the early years stock from the station was driven overland to Auckland. Stock and gum were later shipped directly from Parengarenga Harbour on the Glenelg from a long jetty running out over the mudflats. Samuel soon became an enormously influential figure at Parengarenga, gaining the sobriquet 'King of the Far North'. He had been a justice of the peace since 1873.
On 16 December 1880 Yates married Ngawini (Annie) Murray at Mangonui. Ngawini was born at Pukepoto, near Kaitaia, probably in 1852 or 1853. Her father was John Murray, also known as John Boradale, a shipwright and long-time European resident of Pukepoto. Her mother, Kateraina Te Kone, was descended from Tarutaru, the ancestor of Te Rarawa. Ngawini's great grandmother was Ruakuru, the sister of Te Rarawa leader Poroa. Ngawini, who was the eldest of 15 children, also had links with Te Aupouri. Samuel and Ngawini purchased and leased from Maori large tracts of land totalling as much as 150,000 acres, stretching from Te Kao to North Cape and across to the western coast, including Te Reinga. At Paua, on the southern shores of Parengarenga Harbour, they built an 11-roomed homestead named Paki, and a large trading establishment. Peacocks could often be seen parading through the grounds of the homestead.
I can just imagine the Traquillity of that mental picture . Also they can be Beautiful eating if they plenty of grass & berries . Bit stronger than " Pukako " yet not as strong as swan . Gosh ,I could write another journel on the taste of wild food . Don't get me started on the wild young pig that has beengiev an operation and let go again to grow up a bit . I have to stop . I sending myself into a feeding frenze Till we meet again - Regards - edmondsallan