The Wagon Project
Many thanks to BARRETT HOMES, who have come to help put up our Wagon Shelter. They certainly have "MADE THINGS HAPPEN".
Latest news. The wagon is in it's shelter.
Latest News: 27th March 2017. The Roof is on the Wagon Shelter. An inspection is due, and then a suitable surface will be made for the wagon to sit on, and be anchored in place.
11th August 2016 . Newspaper articles about the Wagon now at Comvita. Follow this link at BOP Times. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=11687370 or look at our new Facebok page.
30th July 2016. The wagon will be temporarily displayed on the grounds of Comvita, whilst we get a permanent sheltered spot organised for it. In the first week of August it should be delivered. Ironically it is temporarily returning to its original home of the old Coachman Tavern.
12th March 2016: the completed Restored Wagon was brought down to the village for one day only on Friday 11th March 1pm for the Cycle-Way Opening. It will be placed near where the cycle way commences by the Notice Board. These are the latest photos as at 10th March 2016.
Comvita gifted an old Wagon which had been a part of their site following the closure of the Coachman Tavern in the late 1970's. Before the introduction of motorised transport all horse-drawn traffic travelled through Paengaroa - from Maketu to Rotorua and Papamoa to Whakatane along the Old Coach Road - hence the name of “The Junction”.
We understand this Wagon was used to haul logs.
At a meeting of the Paengaroa Community Association in 2011 the following was noted:
Wagon: John Fowler is working on this with a few keen helpers. The aim is for a lasting restoration followed by a display of the Wagon as a community feature. Note that the school has some impact matting that could be used for the wagon site so as to allow for the wagon to be interactive – i.e. children can climb and play on it.
We understand this Wagon was used to haul logs.
At a meeting of the Paengaroa Community Association in 2011 the following was noted:
Wagon: John Fowler is working on this with a few keen helpers. The aim is for a lasting restoration followed by a display of the Wagon as a community feature. Note that the school has some impact matting that could be used for the wagon site so as to allow for the wagon to be interactive – i.e. children can climb and play on it.
Working Bee: 10th January 2016: Photos below:
The Wagon project
The Wagon project is well on the way with the spending of the council grant on initial materials, moving the wagon to a secure dry shed, and doing a get together with some of the restoration team to work out a plan of attack.
Sunday 3rd August 2014, we made a start on the wagon, four volunteers turned up at John Fowler's storage shed and made a good start stripping down the old Coachman Tavern Wagon.
Phil Langley (Ph: 5331043) was elected as project manager, this will be a community project and we are still looking for a few more helpers. We could do with a few more volunteers willing to donate time and expertise. Ring Phil if you’d like to help.
We could do with someone with a gas plant to heat some very rusted bolts, with the aim of reusing them. (some photos of team hard at work)
$500 has just been received from Maketu Rotary to go towards the cost of the wheels.
23 July 2015: We have funding from First Sovereign Trust to buy the wheels we found on Trademe for $2,500.00., and we enough to build a shelter for the wagon when it is displayed in the community. Where? is yet to be determined. Any suggestions?
14 August 2015: Wheels are being fitted to the axels: pictures:
12 October 2015: The body of the wagon is being built. picture far right below.
3 November 2015: Meeting. Where do we build the shelter for the Wagon? Potential locations: End of cycleway by notice board, In triangle village green, at Hall, outside community garden? We all want to keep it on this side of the Highway. Any suggestions?
HistoryThis is an excerpt from our community Plan about our history: You will see by reading about the Old Coach Road and The Junction why our Wagon Project is so important to Paengaroa. Dating back to the 14th century we have a rich cultural history of both Māori and European descendants. Paengaroa history starts at Maketu for both Maori and settlers. Around 1350, the Te Arawa canoe made landfall at Maketu, just five minutes drive away from us. Māori ventured inland following rivers, such as the Kaituna that flows past the village, settling the wider region, planting crops and harvesting the natural environment. For the local Māori iwi the Kaituna River is the umbilical chord which connects the inland “womb” of Rotorua. The river is a lifeline which enabled the Māori family groups to travel back and forth from Rotorua to the sea. The Tapuika people are the custodians of the river and ensure its health and vitality is preserved for future generations. In 1769 Captain Cook sailed to this area naming it the Bay of Plenty in recognition of the dense vegetation and thriving crops of the Māori villages. European settlement in the Western Bay of Plenty began when flax traders arrived into the area around 1830. Many of the traders married local Māori women and remained in the area. Following the 1864 Land Wars, in which Paengaroa also played a part, settlement continued to grow and farming became popular in the area. Surveying of the district commenced in 1867, and on February 4th, 1903, the settlement for Paengaroa was established on auctioned Crown land. Before the introduction of motorised transport all horse-drawn traffic travelled through Paengaroa - from Maketu to Rotorua and Papamoa to Whakatane Along the Old Coach Road - hence the name of “The Junction”. Stables were built, closely followed by a blacksmith, wheelwright, bookmaker and saddler, plus a boarding house, post office, butcher and general store. This progress was supported by the development of flax mills and railway camps. In 1903 the community gained a Bank of New Zealand and Bank of Australasia. Mr Gilmore opened his workshop as a hall for social functions. All lowland was covered in water in which flax and cabbage trees grew. The highland was covered in ti tree, tutu bushes and stunted fern. Paengaroa was named Siberia due to the pumice soil, derived from the Kaharoa ash shower, which was deficient in cobalt causing bush sickness in stock. Bush sickness was solved in 1935 when farmers added cobalt to top dressing and also as a drench for stock. This saw dairying and sheep farming “take off,” along with the cropping of maize, turnips and oats for horse feed. A creamery was built to produce cheese and later butter. In 1905 it was time to consider the eleven children’s schooling and the Education Board appointed a teacher for the Paengaroa and Pongakawa children. The number of children increased to 25 and in 1908 a classroom and porch was erected on the present Paengaroa site. The Paengaroa Progressive League was formed to support the community with one of their main projects being the Paengaroa to Rotorua railway. They went on to form the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and later the Farmers Union took over the League’s role where they worked to get a porter and phone for the Paengaroa Railway, plus agitated for maintenance of certain roads. Later they joined the Te Puke branch and became Federated Farmers. In 1936 a Young Farmers Group was established along with the Sunshine Club for “girls” followed by a Bachelors Club. To meet the sport and recreation needs of Paengaroa residents an Athletics club formed in 1906 which included stock and horse events. This was followed by the establishment of a Hack Racing Club, Football Club, Hockey team, Tennis Club, Cricket Club and Golf Club and course. (Paengaroa Then and Now. 1956, Roy Mckenzie) |
NOTES ON THE NAMING OF WILSON’S ROAD
When I attended Paengaroa School, there was no Wilson’s Road – we lived on the second Maketu Road (said with emphasis on “second”). Around the 1960’s the Tauranga County Council was advised by the Post and Telegraph Dept that having two roads both named “Maketu Road” was unacceptable! Her Majesty’s Mail simply could not get through, and something should be done! The County Council thereupon settled on three names of early settlers. These were: Wilson (for the Scottish David Wilson, who arrived and lived on the road from 1916) Mathews (for two brothers who owned property but never lived on the road) and King (for Robert King who was an early landowner and storekeeper but did not live on the road) The Council held a postal vote, and invited the residents to choose which name they preferred. The name chosen was Wilson, and everyone seemed happy. However, several months later the new AA sign mysteriously disappeared. It was promptly replaced, only to be gone again by the following morning. This was very, very strange! Because Andy Bonne had recently “fallen out” with his father-in-law David Wilson, Bonne became the Number One Suspect! Nturally, he hotly denied playing any part in the removal – which was possibly true, and nothing was ever proved. But one cannot help but wonder what part those three rascally Bonne sons played in this neighbourhood mystery? (Paengaroa Centenary Notes by Maree Bragg) |