2. MEET THE KIDS ..OUR MUSEUM..
EVENTS
WONDERBOXES
OUR TREASURES WONDER
Great Barrier BOXES
HISTORICAL
RECOUNTS
Island
OUR ISLAND
TERM ONE EVENTS
Historical OUR TREASURES
Recounts ‘O TOANGA’
written by
Yr 5-8 kids
Next
Meet the Kids
8. HiSTORiCAL RECOUNTS
Home The diary of Mrs Jane Williams
24 October 1894 The pigeon post service
Dear diary, Today we left Sydney for Auckland on the S.S.
Waiarapa with my husband Tom Williams and our three children
On 16 of December 1896 my family and I
Martha, Lilly and Henry. We are settlers from England and we were living on Great Barrier Island when I
are going to Auckland in offer of free land. I feel excited to go to became ill, my parents thought I had
a new land but am missing my family back in England.
26 October 1894 appendicitis. The boat was returning to the
Dear diary, this is the second time I have been on a luxury island today but it would hurt too much to
steam ship, we are going at least 13 knots and the there has
been a rumour that the captain has been drinking whiskey while wait a day. I had an idea I could get a
he has been sailing the ship. My children are very scared and message sent out using my pet pigeon called
so is my husband for our safety.
28 October 1894
Spike He was called this because he had a
Dear diary, it has been a long journey to Auckland. I can feel really spiky beak .My idea was for Spike to
that we are closer to getting to New Zealand. fly to town with a message for a doctor to come
30 October 1894
Dear diary, it has been two days from when the ship wrecked on on today’s boat instead of tomorrows. So I
sharp rocks off the coast of an isolated island named Great sent Spike to town with a message to a doctor.
Barrier Island. I was one of the very few people who survived
the ship wreck. It was terrible, there were people sliding off the
Half an hour later I saw the boat coming into
deck and into the rough sea. I was clinging to the mast pole the harbour. I hopped in the wagon with my
with my three children while all around me people were mum and we rode to the wharf. The road was
screaming for help. There were even cows and horses yelling in
agony while they slipped on there side and disappeared into kind of slippery from yesterday’s rain but
the dark stormy water. The local Maoris tried to pull the ship to finally we arrived. Then I saw Spike on the
shore but it sunk. Hundreds of people drowned and very few
survived. doctors’ arm, he flu to me. And that was how
31 October 1894 the pigeon post service started by a 10 year old
Dear diary, I am feeling very lonesome. I have lost one child and
today bodies were found on the beach. My husband was found
boy named Jack. True story.
alive but missing three fingers and an ear but after a couple of By Bryn James Archibald
hours he passed away in his sleep his last words were I love
you.
9. HISTORICAL RECOUNTS
SS Wairarapa
SS.Wairarapa
On the 28th of October 1894 the SS
Wairarapa made its way from One stormy night Martha
Sydney to Auckland. I got on board in stood up on the hill at
Auckland and then we sailed to Great Miners Head. She saw the
Barrier Island. On the way to miners ss.wairarapa. She saw that
head the ship started to drift closer that the ship was in trouble
and closer tothe cliff. and yelled out, Hey
The captain had drunk a little captain Look out! BOOM,
too much. After a few minutes BASH, CRASH.
theship crashed into the cliff The ss.wairarapa had crashed,
breaking the boat in two. she new she had to
I fell off the boat and almost do something about it! So she
drowned, the rescuers came to help. rushed down the
I survived, luckily I made it but hill to save the people. It
the sad bit was all my friends started to sink. She
onboard died in the ship wreck. had saved more than 50
By Shelby Sanderson people. She had taken
them to the hospital. They had
all survived.
Home By Maya
10. Term one events
DUFFY
BOOKS
Lucy on
one news
COASTAL CLEANUP
Cooking
with the
yr 7’s
Home and 8’s
G.B.I
mining
11. THE
BARRIER
Whangaparapara
White Cliffs
Pah Beach
Fiztroy Harbour Tryphena
Home