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Preface The
history of Hoe-o-Tainui is prefaced by two legends collected by the
Harrison family and written down by Russell Harrison as a schoolboy. These legends are printed exactly as he wrote them down.
I feel that they are authentic enough to be considered our own
legends and can take pride of place as an introduction to the history of
Hoe-o-Tainui. In legends
and myths are preserved not only the fact of the history but also the
essence of those who have passed them on.
How old these legends are, or whether they incorporate some more
ancient folk lore preserved by the inhabitants who pre-dated the General
Fleet is anybody’s guess. However,
the geological evidence is that the Waikato River did once enter the
ocean at the Firth of Thames and, who knows what ancient memories went
into the development of these legends.
Therefore, we can be grateful that our earliest European settler
listened to, and his family recorded, these two legends to introduce
what must, of necessity, be more factual recording. In
the following history I have endeavoured, with the assistance of many
people, to obtain as accurate a record of the history of Hoe-o-Tainui as
can be ascertained at this date. My
own connection with Hoe-o-Tainui goes back, on my father’s side, to
around 1916, while my mother is the eldest daughter of Mr W J Collins,
the first settler together with Mr F White, in Tahuna.
The Jubilee Committee was of the opinion that if the history was
not written now a great deal could be untraceable in the very near
future as our earliest settlers would no longer be available to give us
the record of those early days. I
trust that the reading of the following history will bring back memories
to the older members of our community and that it will give a clear
indication to the younger ones of us of the background to this district. The
following are the names of those that have generously contributed time
and trouble with articles, information and records, all of, which have
enabled this booklet to be a comprehensive record of our district.
Mr B A Orr, Mr C W Kendon, Mr W J Collins, Mr W H Clothier, Mrs M
I Reed,
Mr J E Laing, Mr D Twining, <r & Mrs R Cooper, Mrs I J
Clarke,
The South Auckland Education Board, Mr R Harrison and Mr N
Watson.
G R Crocombe Chairman
Jubilee Committee.
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