The Maori had quite a few watermills, but Maketu is one of the few reliable records of them having a windmill of any form. Even so, this may be stretching the definition somewhat - the windmill in question drove a steel flour mill, rather than millstones, and although the driving mechanism is refered to as sails at one point, it is also referred to as "wind mill fans" so may have been more like a wind engine.
The mill was tendered for by a carpenter by the name of T H Smith in Feb 1875, and the cost of £120 was to be met by the Maori paying £70, and the Government, via the Native Dept, the remaining £50. That cost covered supplying the (steel) flour mill machinery, (with capacity to grind and dress 800lbs of wheat in 10 hours), plus the material and gear for the (wooden) building to house it, the "Wind mill fans with reefing gear" to power it, all to be built and placed in working order.
The mill was built in early 1878, after which the carpenter submitted his accounts, but like many a government contract, it took much chasing on his part until he was actually paid the Government contribution.
REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF MAORI MILLS.The local tribe did have some hopes of getting a mill: Letter from Thomas Henry Smith in Maketu to Sir Donald McLean in Auckland City
To the Native Secretary. Sir, - I beg to report that in my late tour of inspection of the Maori Mills I visited the following places. After landing at Maketu where they have not yet decided upon building a Mill, I proceeded to Roto Rua where two mills are in course of erection.
Maketu June 6th. 1856, My dear Mr. McLean, You will expect a line from me by the return of the "Wawata". We had a pleasant run down here of little more than two days and anchored off the river on Sunday morning.The writer of this letter was Thomas Henry Smith, resident magistrate and JP at Rotorua. He is not the same person as the carpenter also called T. H. Smith who later built the windmill at Maketu - since both sets of records are hand written we can see that the handwriting and the signatures are markedly different....
Our troublesome friend Topine Tukihaumene was much pleased to receive your note acknowledging his good offices at Manaia with reference to the powder and talks of paying Te Kowarehua another visit to try and induce him to give up the stolen property - hoping, if successful, to make it the ground of a renewed application to the Government for assistance in his daily project of a mill. I have neither encouraged nor dissuaded him but left him to follow his own bent in the matter. He is exceedingly anxious that the first two pair of millstones coming to Auckland should be secured and has worried me into promising that I would write to you to this effect. £20 have been left in the hands of Te Ao for this purpose and Tuki thinks he can raise £30 here, now, and the remainder, in the course of 6 months, by going to Katikati to dig Kauri gum. The old man is nervously anxious to have the 'mana' of the undertaking and so far I am quite willing to humour him, but think the Maketu people have their hands too full already and might be content to wait awhile for their mill. I am ashamed to bother you with this knowing how fully your attention is occupied but I promised old Tuki I would mention it to you....
Yours very sincerely, Thos. H. Smith.
Mr Hamlin, the able Resident Magistrate at Maketu, also writes very favourably on native affairs. In the report he states that the natives in his district are very anxious to become wheat-growers, and hints that this increased desire for agricultural pursuits will tend to improve their moral condition and reduce drunkenness.
Tinui Waata, of Maketu, says the Natives of that place, with the help of the Government, are about to erect a windmill. We are always glad to hear of the progress of any industry in the Native districts. Our Maori friends will find such pursuits much more profitable and beneficial in every respect than hunting up, as some do, so-called "grievances and wrongs of the people."
The NZ Archives in Wellington hold a series of records about the mill, consisting of hand written letters and memoranda, including the agreement that the natives would pay £70 towards the total cost of £120.
These records start with the tender submitted by T. H. Smith to build the mill:Maketu Feb 2nd 1875There is a letter in the Maori language that is signed by a long list of names (including what looks like Tinui/Timi Wa(a)ta - who later reported the mill's construction), but the same information also seems to be present in an English language letter that carries just a single name. (It is easy to see the three numbers 120, 50, 70 matching up across the two representations). I have no idea whether the translation was provided by the natives, or done by the Government after receipt, but the message it gives is:
I hereby offer to supply to Te Pere a Steel Flour Mill capable of grinding and dressing about eight hundred pounds of wheat in ten hours to supply all material and gear necessary, for house, and Wind Mill fans provided with reefing gear, to erect the same and leave it in working order for the sum of One Hundred and Twenty Pounds Stg. £120.0.0
T. H. Smith
MaketuThe main document shows many markups as it passed through the approval process:
[?Feb] 6 1875
To Mr Clarke,
Sir Salutations, This is to inform you about the [?property] of one [?present] the Government [?sent] here last year to provide [?subistence] for the women and children. We have enquired the expense of carpenters work and he says he will do it for £120 and we have agreed. We ask you to pay a portion viz £50 we will make up the £70.
Te Pere [???]
To Commissioner of Native Department
If the Maketu natives will pay now their £70 which they propose as their share of the undertaking unto Mr Hamlin's hands I would recommmend that they receive from native funds the £50 they ask for - and provided also that a proper contract be entered into for the completion of the work by Mr Smith.
W Clarke
9.2.75
Approved [?Donald McLean] 17 [?Feb] 75
Mr Lewis
Inform Mr Hamlin accordingly
W Clarke
6.3.75
F E Hamlin
[?No] 38/2
16.3.75
Noted for 89. Authorities
17.3.75 [? ? ? initials]
For AccountantA reply was sent out agreeing to the work:
T W Lewis
17.3.75
16.3.75The mill was constructed at the start of 1878, and the paper trail picks up a few months later when T H Smith submitted his accounts to the Government for payment:
F. E. Hamlin Esq.
Maketu
Sir, I have the honour by directive of the [?Hon] native minister to ack the receipt of the letter from Te Pere and others addressed to Mr Clarke respecting the erection of a flour mill and the tender of Mr T. H. Smith to erect the mill for the sum of £120, and to inform you in reply that if the Maketu natives will pay over the £70 which the propose as their share of the undertaking into your hands Sir Donald McLean will authorize the payment of the balance of £50 from Native Funds, provided that a proper contract be entered into by Mr Smith for the completion of the work.
[?signature]
Native OfficeThe initial processing takes a bit of time:
Tauranga April 12/78
Sir
The enclosed accounts have been received from Mr T H Smith of Maketu and I have the honour to forward them to you uncertified as I have no instructions on the subject of either of them - the Clerk to the bench (at Maketu) states that he believes that Mr Hamlin late R US had made on behalf of Government some arrangements with Mr Smith for the erection of a flour mill for the Natives but that no papers on the subject can be found in the office.
In respect to the claim for [?bonus] a gun, Mr Smith came to me personally on the subject and states that he had a contract with Mr Hamlin to repair and mount on carriages some guns belonging to the Tapsells - that he had not fulfilled his contract as he did not know whether he was now to go on with it, as his instructions were not in writing.
I have the honour to be
Sir
Your most obedient Servant
Herbert W Brabant
Received: 16 AprilSmith starts to chase, sending a telegram to ask when he will be paid:
From: H W Brabant, Tauranga
Subject: Forwards 2 claims from T H Smith of Maketu - £50 as contibution towards a Wind Flour Mill for Natives at Maketu, & £3:10:0 for repairing Hans Tapsell's gun
Mr Brabent
Herewith on paper in reference to wind flour mill for native at Maketu, you will see what the [?acatence] of the authors was. Have [????] been carried out?
With regard to the mounting of the old cannon, authority was given to Mr Hamlin to have work done [?] papers were referred to him in March 1876 and have not been enclosed.
Mr Clarke
29.4.78
New Zealand Telegraph.
Maketu 11am Mon 6.6.78
[?paper] & [????]
Please inform me when a/c due from native Dept for work supplied will be paid vouchers forwarded about three months
T H Smith
11.45am
Referred to the Native Secretary
[Name]
6.6.78
Mr Duncan
Do you know anything of this account?
[Name]
7.6.78
Two vouchers for £50 were received on the 16th April from Mr Brabant. Referred back to him on the 29th April
L R Duncan
9.6.78
Referred to Mr Brabant
T W Lewis for U.S.
7/6/78
received: 8.6.78Herbert W Brabant was the civil servant on the ground who looked in to the claim. The problems seem to be some lost paperwork, together with the fact that F E Hamlin who had been the official in Maketu at the time had moved on, and Sir Donald McLean, the Minister who had authorized the expense at the top level had died:
From: J. R. Smith, Maketu
Subject: Wishes to know when his a/cs will be paid for works supplied re mills.
Mr Clarke U.S.He submitted his report:
I enquired into Mr Smiths claims on my first visit to Maketu after receipt of the papers. My report is now kept as part of the record No 78-1178
Herbert W Brabant [??]
June 24.1878
Mr Clarke U.S.That was sufficient to agree to the payment:
I saw both Mr Smith and Te Pere at Meketu on 11th instant. The mill it appears has been completed, but the natives complain 1st that Mr Smith has not painted it and 2nd that the wind sails broke in a high wind. Mr Smith replies (1) that painting was not included in this contract (2) that the windsails broke because natives did not understand the working of them. Mr Smith has however repaired them since they broke. I have been unable to find any contract in the Maketu office and it does not appear that any formal one was drawn out. I asked Mr Hamlin who was at Meketu at the time whether painting was included in Mr Smiths agreement but he was unable to tell me. Under the circumstances, I do not see how Mr Smith can be compelled to do the painting. He informed me that he is willing to allow Captain [?Purves] to inspect the work done and access the value of the work. This I submit would be a proper course to persue. As to the cannons I have had the Maketu offices searched for the papers referenced by Mr Hamlin, but without success. I have requested Mr Smith to put in writing the whole circumstances which statement I propose to forward to you when received.
Herbert W Brabant [??]
June 24 1878
Mr [?Gill].
Mr Smith appears to have carried out his agreement. These accounts should be paid. Both the mill & cannons were authorized by the late Sir Donald McLean when Native Minister.
Mr Clarke
18.7.78
Vouchers £3.10.0 + £50.0.0
to audit 11.7.78
J H Smith, Maketu
[signature]
Mr [?name]
please enquire if cheques for these have been sent if not when
[signature]
On wednesday next if possibleDespite the trail suggesting cheques had been sent, Smith had to chase again:
[name] 16.9.78
Maketu, Bay Of Plenty August 2nd 1878There is no letter from 16th June in the records - perhaps that one truly was not received, but the dept does not dispute being aware of the claim since it had recevied a telegram 10 days earlier.
H J Clarke Esqr. Under Secretary Native Affairs
Sir
I have the honour to inform you that I have not yet received an answer to my letter dated June 16th re payment of account due on contract for Wind Flour Mill at Matetu.
I have the honour to remain your obediant Servant
T. H. Smith
Received: Aug 9 1878Further chasing was needed:
From: T H Smith, Maketu
Subject: Has not yet received an answer to his letter re payment due on Wind mill Maketu.
Maketu August 24th 1878
The Undersecretary Native Affairs
Sir
I have the honour to inform you that two letters dated respectively June 16th and August 2nd have not yet been answered. Neither have I received payment due to me on account of contract, the subject of communication. Meanwhile, eight months have now elapsed since the work was given up, five months since the vouchers were forwarded, and more than two since H W Brabant made certain enquiries connected with it. would you oblige by informing me why I am kept out of my money long over due.
I have the honour to remain your obedient servant
T H Smith
Received: 28 AugThe memoranda trail again notes a date for sending the cheque, and since the trail stops presumably it was really paid this time.
From: T H Smith, Maketu
Subject: Again calls attention to claim for mill work
The Auckland papers record the suicide of Hemi Taiwhanga last week at Russell, Bay of Islands. The deceased was brother of Sydney Taiwhanga; he was for many years residing at Maketu, where he married a great chieftess, the only daughter of To Whareheihei. Hemi Taiwhanga was well and favourably known among the Europeans and natives; he was well educated and was a practical carpenter, which fact was greatly prized in early days. He built a house and erected a wind-mill, which served the whole of the Arawa tribe. He left the district some years ago to reside in Auckland, where he was employed as foreman of the sawyers in Freeman's Bay. Of late he went to reside at the Bay of Islands, where he committed suicide.Other papers had indeed reported on the death, but the facts about the deceased, including the bit about the mill are additions not contained in the other reports: New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6847, 27 October 1883, Page 5
THE SUICIDE OF A MAORI.A slight variant report: Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 4169, 3 November 1883, Page 4
Russell, Friday.
Hemi Taiwhanga committed suicide by hanging himself from the wall of his house, at the loading-ground, and an inquest was held before Mr. E. Ford, J.P., when a verdict was returned, that he committed suicide whilst of unsound mind. Hemi the brother of Sydney Taiwhanga, and, was a great favourite about the Bay, far more than his noted brother, and the passengers and officers of the Union steamers used to derive much amusement from Hemi's antics. He had been on and off in Captain James McLeod's employ for thirty years.
Hemi Taiwhanga committed suicide by hanging himself from the wall of his house at the loading ground, Russell, on the 26th October. An inquest was held the following day, before S. Ford, Esq., J.P., when a verdict was returned that he committed suicide whilst of unsound mind. Hemi was the brother of Sidney Taiwhanga, and was a great favourite about the Bay, far more than his noted brother, and the passengers and officers of the Union steamers used to derive much amusement from Hemi's antics. He had been on and off in Captain James McLeod's employ for 30 years.Hemi may not always have been the name he went under (though this may have be a transcription error at the time): New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6854, 5 November 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)
Mr. Superintendent Thomson received a telegram on Oct. 25, from Russell, informing him that James Taiwhanga, brother of Sydney Taiwhanga, had been found that morning hanging dead in his whare, at the loading-ground, Russell. Sydney Taiwhanga informs us that the deceased had been suffering from mental aberration for some time.
Cleared Outwards. September 1 - Amelia, 16 tons, Ngatangata, for Maketu with 1/2 ton rice, 1/8 ton sugar, 1 wheat mill, 1 box slops, 4 bags do.
DEPARTURES. April 25 - Amelia, 15 tons, Ngatangata, for Maketu, 1 pair millstones, 2 ploughs.
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