Whatuwhiwhi

Location map
North Island
label=Whatuwhiwhi
lat_dir=S | lat_deg=34 | lat_min=53
lon_dir=E | lon_deg=173 | lon_min=23
position=right
width= 150
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Whatuwhiwhi is a settlement at the northern end of Tokerau Beach, on the Karikari Peninsula of Northland, New Zealand. To the south is Doubtless Bay. [cite book|title=Reed New Zealand Atlas|year=2004|id=ISBN 0-7900-0952-8|author=Peter Dowling (editor)|publisher=Reed Books|pages=map 3] [cite book|title=The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand|year=2005|id=ISBN 1-877333-20-4|author=Roger Smith, GeographX|publisher=Robbie Burton|pages=map 17] coord|34|52|30|S|173|23|24|E|scale:10000|display=title Kaitaia is about 39 km away.

There are three shaded and sandy coves. Swimming is safe, but it is not a good anchorage because it is exposed to the south-east. [cite book|title=The Visitors' Guide to the Far North - Mangonui County|last=Parkes|first=W. F.|edition=3rd edition|date=c.1965|pages=p.27]

de Surville

French explorer Jean-François-Marie de Surville and his crew in the ship "St Jean Baptiste" were the first Europeans to enter Doubtless Bay, just 8 days after James Cook had named it. They anchored off Brodie's Creek, just north east of Whatuwhiwhi, on 17 December 1769, and gathered cresses and green plants gathered by the shores. A storm on 27 December stranded a party of men on shore at Whatuwhiwhi, where they were treated hospitably by the local Maori. In the same storm, the ship dragged her anchors, which had to be cut. [One of the [http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/objectdetails.aspx?oid=58419&coltype=history&regno=ns000047/1 anchors] is now in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa] The ship's yawl, which was in tow, struck rocks and was also cut free.

After the storm, and the stranded party had returned to the ship, on 31 December 1769, the yawl was spotted ashore on Tokerau Beach surrounded by Maori, and an armed party set off to retrieve it. They found a group of Maori carrying spears, and the chief, Ranginui, approached de Surville carrying a twig of green leaves as a sign of peace. De Surville arrested Ranginui for the theft of his boat. His party burned about 30 huts, destroyed one canoe filled with nets, and confiscated another. They brought Ranginui back to their ship, where the crew members who had been stranded during the storm identified him as the chief who had been hospitable to them. De Surville was determined to keep his captive, and "St Jean Baptiste" sailed for Peru the same day. Ranginui died in captivity, of scurvy, 12 weeks later.

A plaque commemorating this visit was unveiled at Whatuwhiwhi in 1969. The anchors abandoned during the storm were located and raised in a community effort on 21 December 1974. [Parkes, pp 23-25] [cite book|title=The Penguin History of New Zealand|author=Michael King|year=2003|id=ISBN 0-14-301867-1|pages=pp 109-110|edition=7th edition] [A less formal account of the visit can be found in Gary Webb's poem, [http://www.trout.auckland.ac.nz/journal/1/webb/surville.htm Surville at Doubtless Bay] ]

Education

Rangiawhia Native School opened in Whatuwhiwhi on 27 January 1902. Wiremu Taua was the head teacher until 1919. This was an experiment to staff a Native School with Māori staff, and Taua was the first Māori person to become a head teacher. The school gained a reputation for excellence, and more Māori head teachers were appointed for native schools. The school gained new buildings in 1906. The average roll was 20 students. [cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/Places/Northland/Northland/12/ENZ-Resources/Standard/3/en|title=Rangiāwhia school, about 1906|encyclopedia=Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand] [cite web|url=http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=3T7|title=Taua, Wiremu Hoani 1862 - 1919|publisher=Dictionary of New Zealand Biography] It no longer operates.

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Rangiawhia is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 2 and a roll of 47. [cite web|url=http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=1141|title=Te Kete Ipurangi - Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Rangiawhia|publisher=Ministry of Education] It is a Kura Kaupapa Māori school which teaches fully in the Māori language.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.whatuwhiwhi.co.nz/index.shtml Whatuwhiwhi community website]
*cite book|title=From Tasman To Marsden: A History of Northern New Zealand from 1642 to 1818|author=Robert McNab|year=1914|chapter=Chapter III — De Surville Visits Doubtless Bay, 1769|url=http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-McNTasm-t1-body-d3.html
* [http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/objectdetails.aspx?oid=58419&coltype=history&regno=ns000047/1 de Surville's Anchor]