He Ara Pukerua – Pukerua Bay, New Zealand

April 2025 Residents Association meeting minutes

19 May 2025 / Jane Comben / Community Garden, He Ara Pukerua, Minutes / Climate Action Ropu, community garden, he ara, Iain MacLean, Karakia, Korero

Minutes Tuesday 8 April 2025
7:30 –9:00 pm RSA Wairaka Rd

Attending: Paul FitzGerald, Judith Frost-Evans, Jane Comben, Nikky Winchester, Chris Kirk-Burnnand
Apologies: Cr Josh Trlin, Margaret Blair,

Last month’s minutes a true and accurate representation

Moved Nikky / seconded Paul. All in favour. Carried.

Iain Maclean’s Passing

We acknowledge Iain Maclean’s passing and send love and best wishes to Kate and whānau. Iain has touched many and contributed to the Bay in multiple ways. He had been on the RA since the 90’s and took over the Chair from Pat Hanley. He’ll be sorely missed by many.

Dying’s not so bad if you’ve had time to get used to the idea. There is no avoiding it. But you can’t say you’re not disappointed; there’s fa lot to leave behind. You’ve been surrounded by the aroha of the beautiful people throughout the journey. That’s why I love Pukerua Bay.
Nā Iain MacLean

Council updates

PCC – None

27 March Judith sent info to Ross about the Rubbish Bin on Brendon Beach.

GWRC –

Wellington Water

Nick Leggett getting a lot of flack. Previous Chair resigned and that’s when Nick took over. Wellington Water is a mess with some conflicts of interest etc.

Annual Plan is underway hoping to keep increase below 10% but that is still quite high in present climate e.g. people across NZ living on their savings.

Rail GWRC don’t control bus replacement/upgrade of the lines. KiwiRail decide when they do it. The on-demand bus in Tawa was cancelled because of costs but putting on hourly minibuses. Average bus trip costs GWRC $8 and train $12.

Centreport paid $9 million In dividends to GWRC. 27 million total benefit.

Failed to get anywhere on the bus stop or lease for garden.

Transport Cut in monies supplied by Waka Kotahi so GWRC are having to cut their plans.

Porirua Stream cleaned out the stream by Railway station of stones and silt etc.

Council looking to bring in extra money in by developing and selling off some land as commercial direct to market.

Chris not standing for council again and finishes in Oct.

Matters arising

Plunket Rooms – No more news

Financial report as at 4 April 2025

Finance Report to April 2025 Meeting   as at 4 April 2025
BNZ		$ 11,768.94
Income:		
$7.79		Interest
$160.00	Korero Advert

Expenditure:	
Nil			

Invoices – Overdue 
$270.00	Korero

Account balances as at 4 April 2025
Res Assn 000		$      462.58
He Ara 001		$        87.67
CGFF 002		$      483.21
Kōrero 066		$      221.77
Surf Seat 067		$      174.73
On Call Acct	025	$10,338.98	
					CGFF		$3,000.00 On Hold
					CGFF		$  500.00  Payment
					He Ara	$5,000.00  Donation
					Korero	$1,700.00  On Hold
					Residents	$   138.98  Interest
				
________________________________________________________________
Action Notes:
•	Korero – Overdue invoices to be followed up 

•	Copies of Funding Applications to treasurer
	CGFF  2024 December  Pelorus Trust (supplied by Judith) 
	CGFF  2025 March  -  Hutt Mana (supplied by Judith)

•	Honorarium Korero designer

•	All invoices to be issued by the treasurer.

Moved Paul / seconded Jane. All in favour. Carried

Correspondence

20 March
From: John Meeuwsen
Subject: Placemaking and community 19/3 meeting – follow up on Emergency mgt [EM] discussion.
To circulate amongst RA to discuss next meeting.

25 Mar
From: Tim Costly Tim.Costley@parliament.govt.nz>
Subject: Anzac Service this year
Response: CC-ed the RSA email. Supplied Yvonne’s number and general information from the RSA newsletter.

26 Mar
From: Barabara Edmonds MP
Subject: Boundary Changes for the Mana Electorate Information about the boundary.

27 Mar
From: Judith

3 April
From: Elise Broadbent
Subject: Question around Plunket rooms
Response: Info from the minutes, link to PKB Hub website and suggestion to contact Kelly.

Pukerua Bay Developments Ltd Will Caccia-Birch supplied update on Muri Rd Development about earthmoving onto site and the access onto Muri Road. Posted onto Website and Facebook.

Action Items

Train Replacement Bus Service – Thomas Nash sent response from the Operational people. They will be doing a review of their train replacement bus service in the future.

Dog Signs – Paul hasn’t followed up on this yet

Beach Rd Remediation work – no update

Project Updates

Community Garden & Food Forest

Crop rotation – Vicky explained the importance of rotating heavy feeding crops with more leafy crops and planting green crops for over wintering. We have a visual plan for this and will display on pavilion noticeboard.

Strawberry patch is a big project. We will need to collect resources for this plus promote it to our community as a fun opportunity for them to take home plants. Perhaps have a sausage bbq.

Calendar update – we have the 12 gardens identified and a lot of the photos taken. The house at 33 Ocean Parade will be our focus on the home for our little blue penguins. Peter Stevenson has completed the illustrations for a crankie story telling on the beach. Vicky and Gay have worked on the information pages at the end of the calendar showing what we do each month at the garden.

Current budget – there have been no expenses this month so balance remains $3,483.21 Judy and Gay completed and submitted a funding application to Hutt Mana Trust. This covers $ 713 for AON Public Liability insurance and $1400 for the extension of the pavilion as a compost collection complex. Dave Garret has been very generous with donated goods and access to his building account to buy materials needed. This work can not start until we hear from Mana Trust, and if declined we will have to activate fundraising – which is what we are trying to avoid.

Brian motivated us to get back to production of ‘ Cory’s Activator’. We will produce a brew on May 3 and will sell and use this mixture. The new compost will be turned on April 5

Rongoa report – The Scouts are enthused to get involved with some of this work, Fantastic

A reminder that when the call comes, those who can, will drop other priorities and help organise Iain’s Wake.

He Ara Report

Flight Lieutenant E.L. Gray in Cairo, 1942. Photo Mike Gray

RSA email to members with story of Lindsay Gray DFC has had a very positive response.

At the RSA AGM unanimous approval to name lounge the Lindsay Gray DFC Lounge.

Display board and nameplate for Lindsay Gray DFC Lounge are being designed.

Great progress with the story and illustrations of the Bevan children’s walk,

Story of the voyage of Lady Nugent put on He Ara Facebook on 17 March: 184 years since the day the ship carrying the Bevan and Prince families arrived in Wellington.

A response to this post has given us a link to another person living in Pukerua Bay who is a descendant of a passenger.

Transcripts of the surgeon’s log and Thomas Bevan Snr’s letters have been sourced at the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Kōrero

Working on the proof for the current issue which will be out at the end of April. Had a meeting to discuss the next Matariki issue. Copy deadline 8 May for Matariki issue.

Climate Action Rōpū

A meeting planned 23 April
Regular monthly crop swaps

General Business

a. PCC Annual Plan

Looking at a 7.19 % rate increase on average $7.10/week. Further reduced if removing funding and increasing charges.

Submission – we support the proposal for cuts to minimise the rates increase but we don’t support the increase in Cannon Creek Pool fees. Submission to be circulated.

b. MOUs with groups under umbrella. Defer until next meeting.

c. Karakia at meetings. Purpose to pause and a bringing together at the start of the meeting. Generally everyone says it together to bring focus together. Suggest we have an opening and closing one we’re familiar with. Open to other karakia (suggestions below). Discussed and agreed.

He timatanga: Whakataka te hau

Whakataka te hau ki te uru
Whakataka te hau ki te tonga
Kia mākinakina ki uta
Kia mātaratara ki tai
E hī ake ana te ataakura
He tio, he huka, he hauhunga
Tīhei Mauri Ora

Cease the winds from the west
Cease the winds from the south
let the breeze blow over the land
Let the red tipped dawn come
with a sharpened air,
A touch of frost, a promise of a
glorious day

Karakia

Kia hora te marino
Kia whakapapa pounamu te moana
Hei huarahi mā tātou i te rangi nei
Aroha atu, aroha mai
Tātou i a tātou katoa
Hui e! Tāiki e!

May peace be widespread
May the sea be like a greenstone
A pathway for us all this day
Let us show respect for each other
For one another
Bind us all together!

Karakia Whakamutunga

Kua mutu ā mātou mahi
Mō tēnei wā
Manaakitia mai mātou katoa
ō mātou hoa
ō mātou whānau
Āio ki te Aorangi.

Our work is finished
For the moment
Bless us all
Our friends
Our families
Peace to the Universe.
(link to video)

d. Explore how we know we are acting on behalf of the residents and what we can do to learn more about what is of concern to our community.

Nikki suggested we look at the latest Village Plan. Everyone to read through it and put it on the agenda to discuss at the next meeting.

2022 Village Plan, See if there is anything not covered in there.

e. How to allow Judith to join meeting while away. We’ll try a Zoom meeting Jane to set up and invite.

Meeting ended 9.10pm

April 2025 Residents Association meeting minutes Read More »

Pukerua through Brush and Lens

11 October 2022 / Jonathan Harker / Event, He Ara Pukerua, History

He Ara Pukerua are hosting Pukerua through Brush and Lens, an exhibition of images and art works of Pukerua Bay since the 1840s.

Venue: St Mark’s, 98 Rawhiti Road (map)
Date: Saturday 5 November 2022, 9.30am – 5pm (ical)

Pukerua through Brush and Lens Read More »

Pukerua Bay Heritage Talks

29 October 2021 / Jonathan Harker / Event, He Ara Pukerua, History

Painting: waka on the beach, Pukerua Bay — *Waka on the beach, Pukerua Bay*

Pukerua Bay has a significant Māori history. Miria Pomare will speak about the people, places and events important to Māori in this place. Ashley Blair will talk about the dramatic events of the late 1880s when the railway was put through Pukerua Bay. There will also be a demonstration of the new augmented reality app “Discover Porirua” which features most of Pukerua Bay’s Heritage sites.

30 October 2021, 10.30 am (ical)
Place: Former Muri train station, end of Muri Road (map)

Event details also on Facebook.

Pukerua Bay Heritage Talks Read More »

He Ara Pukerua Historic Display & Community Garden Family Fun Day

5 September 2020 / Jonathan Harker / Community Garden, He Ara Pukerua

Despite the gloomy grey weather, the Pukerua Bay Family Fun Day went ahead as planned for the opening of the new Rail Comes to Pukerua and Rail Timeline display panels in the former Muri Station building, and the community garden fun day. The He Ara Pukerua rail history displays were blessed by Ngāti Toa kaumatua Kahu Ropata, supported by Moana Parata and others. Porirua City Mayor Anita Baker and Ward Councillors Nathan Waddle and Josh Trlin revealed the panels. A section of the tramway rail used during the construction of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway 1884–1886 was presented to the mayor. Kahu also blessed the community garden. Following the blessing and speeches there was a sausage sizzle, cakes and tea brewed from thermettes, and a stalls selling T shirts and home-made face masks. A smaller turn-out than planned, but still attended by enthusiastic locals braving the wind and drizzle.

He Ara Pukerua is grateful for the help from Greater Wellington Regional Council and KiwiRail to secure the lease on the former Muri Station shelter. The northbound Muri Station shelter has been relocated onto the garden and is in the process of being refurbished.

^{Images courtesy of Cr. Josh Trlin, Porirua City Council (via Facebook); Andy Erceg and Ashley Blair, He Ara Pukerua (via Facebook).}

He Ara Pukerua Historic Display & Community Garden Family Fun Day Read More »

He Ara Pukerua T-shirts and tote bags for sale

22 June 2020 / Brian Sullivan / Fundraising, He Ara Pukerua

T-shirts and tote bags are back on sale again. We are taking orders now for personal delivery. You can pick your desired size and colour as described in the product descriptions (although we have run out of the pink T-shirts). Please allow a short delay for printing.

Funds go to support He Ara Pukerua, the Pukerua Bay heritage project.

He Ara Pukerua T-shirts and tote bags for sale Read More »

The Pukerua Railway Camp

14 April 2020 / Ashley Blair / He Ara Pukerua, History / rail

Pukerua Bay Home ‣ He Ara Pukerua ‣ The Pukerua Railway Camp

Samuel Brown. Photo: Wellington City Council Archives, 00138-12397.

Sudden death, stabbing and robberies: The Wild West? No – the Pukerua railway camp.

During the construction of the railway tunnels between 1884 to 1886 up to 400 men were employed at any one time by Samuel Brown the contractor. The No. 15 contract, for construction of the railway between Pukerua and Paekakariki including six tunnels, was “considered the most difficult and important [contract] on the line.”¹ Many of the men lived at Pukerua in what was known as “the railway camp” or “Brown’s camp”. They lived in tents, whares and huts or stayed in “boarding houses,” which were probably just tents with wooden floors.

The brick makers, bricklayers, tunnelers, quarrymen, woodcutters, stonemasons and navvies walked from Wellington round Porirua Harbour from Pauatahanui, up the Kakaho Stream valley then over the saddle and down to the camp. Contractors, managers, foremen and the better paid tradespeople travelled by coach to Pauatahanui and walked to the camp or took passage on one of the coastal steamers calling onto Pukerua.

With so many men in the camp there were incidents such as robberies of watches, money, jewellery and even clothing. During this time the New Zealand Police Gazette had fourteen entries for Pukerua including a one pound reward notice for a sixteen year old ship deserter. More dramatic was a fire in a whare which had dynamite and blasting caps stored inside. The two miners who lived in the whare made a very hasty exit. Although the caps exploded the dynamite “burned quietly” but they lost all their clothes.

Wellington Manawatu Railway plan for Pukerua showing Bright’s Clearing and Waimapihi Stream. Photo: New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society.

Generally the camp was peaceful but in June 1886 two miners who shared a whare had an argument. One was stabbed with a miner’s candlestick, a sharp pointed iron candle holder used in mines and tunnels. The charge of unlawful wounding was changed by mutual consent to common assault and both miners were bound by the Magistrate to keep the peace for six months.

Benjamin Thatcher, a man who already knew the inside of a Magistrate’s Court, ran one of the boarding houses at the Pukerua railway camp. As well as accommodation and meals Thatcher provided the workmen with alcohol. But he never had a licence nor was there any way to hide the barrels of beer rowed ashore from the s.s.Tui. Constable Roche from Paekakariki saw 120 gallons of beer from the Thorndon Brewery being landed at Pukerua for Thatcher on 16 May 1885. Thatcher was subsequently charged at the Paekakariki Police Court with sly-grog selling. Constable Roche said, “that the vicinity of Thatcher’s house was one of the most dangerous places in New Zealand for drunken men to frequent, as they had to pass a high and precipitous cliff going backwards and forwards.”² Thatcher was fined £20 and costs or one month in prison with hard labour if the fine was not paid. Later that same year he was fined 20 shillings, with 7 shillings costs for being drunk in charge of a horse at Pukerua. However, two months later the horse may have had its revenge. While Thatcher was riding beside the contractor’s tramway he was thrown from the horse with “great force” onto the iron rails. He was badly injured and taken to Wellington Hospital by train.

Running a boarding house at Pukerua during construction of the railway was a risky business. Three Pukerua boarding house keepers at the railway camp, James Edward Raistrick, Edward Robinson and Edward Henry Banks, ended up in court when each, at different times, was declared bankrupt.

In September 1884 a Post Office and Post Office Savings Bank were established at Pukerua with John Laughton, the works manager, as postmaster. Many men spent all of their first pay on alcohol and were absent next day. Samuel Brown announced that from then on anyone absent after pay day would be dismissed and he advised workers to make use of the Savings Bank. This advice was heeded and there were no more absences following pay day. Laughton encouraged workers to save and on one occasion over £300 was deposited by Pukerua workmen into the Savings Bank.

In late August 1885 the badly decomposed body of a man was found up a gully near the camp. He was identified as Richard Price, a striker who worked with the blacksmith Malcolm Mclntyre. The inquest heard that in June Price was planning to work on a bridge near Woodville and his mates thought he had left even though the body was only 150 yards from his hut. He was known to be a heavy drinker and this may have contributed to his demise.

The Pukerua railway camp was disbanded with the opening of the railway and so ended a most colourful time of Pukerua’s history.

By Ashley Blair, Pukerua Bay Heritage Group.

References

“Wellington and Manawatu Railway” New Zealand Mail, Issue 656, 19 September 1884, (Supplement) p. 1
“Sly grog-Selling at Pukerua” Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 2, 2 July 1885, p. 3

The Pukerua Railway Camp Read More »

Muri Station history taking shape

21 October 2019 / Iain MacLean / He Ara Pukerua, History

You might have noticed that the old shelter building on the southbound platform of the former Muri railway station has a new coat of paint and is looking pretty flash. This is thanks to the Greater Wellington Regional Council, which is handing ownership of the building over to the Residents Association. It’s the culmination of a long process that began when GWRC closed the station in 2011.

The plan is to make it part of He Ara Pukerua heritage project, and it will have the Pukerua Bay railway history on display in the shed. In the meantime, we have a temporary sign…

Temporary heritage sign on Muri Station shelter.

It was installed by our friend Bill Inge, Village Projects Coordinator from Porirua City Council.

Muri Station history taking shape Read More »

He Ara Pukerua: beach heritage marker unveiling

31 July 2019 / Jonathan Harker / Announcements, Event, He Ara Pukerua

The beach heritage marker, part of Pukerua Bay’s He Ara Pukerua heritage project, will be unveiled by Porirua Mayor, His Worship Mike Tana. The marker covers a brief introduction to Pukerua Māori history, George Stubbs, John Nicol, Nobby Clark, beach houses, the 1962 Battle of the Rocks, the Rāhui and early artists.

This will be followed by the unwrapping of the bollard for the Pukerua Bay Surf Lifesaving Club at Brendan Bay, with members of the club.

All welcome!

10 am start, Saturday 3 August 2019 (ical)
Southern beach car park, at foot of Goat Track (map)

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He Ara Pukerua signpost opening

4 May 2018 / Brian Sullivan / Announcements, Event, He Ara Pukerua, History

The He Ara Heritage Group of the Pukerua Bay Residents Association would like to invite you to the opening of 4 heritage bollards on the Ara Harakeke Way. The event will be on Saturday 19 May 2018 and start at 10.00am by the entrance to Whenua Tapu.

That might sound a bit official but it’s really a great chance to see and hear stories about our local history. The bollards have been placed alongside the walkway to mark significant events or places at those sites.

It’s a 2.5 km walk down to the Z Truck Stop and Mayor Mike Tana is officiating at all four of them. He will be ably assisted at each one by our selected historians who will give a potted history of the significance of each site.

A representative from the Hongoeka Marae will bless each one and Mayor Mike will unveil them with a flourish. As a bonus, Mike Jebson from the QE2 National Trust and a resident botanist will speak as we pass the Taupō Swamp sign which was recently rediscovered. The last time it was seen out in the open was when the Queen was here!

At the Truck Stop we will have available some ‘local’ refreshments. They will be non-alcoholic and child friendly. Actually they will be real fruit ice blocks made on the Kāpiti Coast by a couple of ladies just starting their business called Paekākāriki Pops.

He Ara Pukerua signpost opening Read More »