Restoration of historic St Michael's Church fulfils long-held dream

Newly elected councillor Penetaui Kleskovic (with the umbrella) leads the manuhiri onto the site of the fighting pā built by his namesake, the Ngāti Rangi chief Pene Taui. Photo / Peter de Graaf

One of Northland's most historically significant churches has been rededicated after a thorough restoration returned the building to its original glory.

Sunday's ceremony, at St Michael's Church at Ōhaeawai, just east of Kaikohe, was attended by more than 300 people including government ministers, senior clergy and members of local hapū Ngāti Rangi.

The church was built in 1871 on the site of the Battle of Ōhaeawai, the penultimate clash of the Northern War of 1845-46 which pitted Ngāpuhi against British troops and their Māori allies.

The restoration was funded by a $1.7 million grant from the Provincial Growth Fund. The grant also paid for an interpretation trail across the almost 170-year-old battleground and renovation of what was originally Ōhaeawai Native School.

The trail links the church, which was built on the site of the fighting pā constructed by Ngāti Rangi chief Pene Taui with help from his Ngāti Hine ally Te Ruki Kawiti, and the school, built on the site of the British encampment.

Te Kitohi Pikaahu, the Bishop of Te Tai Tokerau, leads a procession to the newly rededicated St Michael's Church. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Project coordinator Raima Redden said her parents and grandparents had always dreamed of restoring the church.

"My mum always used to say, 'I wish we could do up the church' and 'Look at the school, it's falling down!' Her mum probably said the same things, so it's the realisation of a long-held dream."

St Michael's Church was built in 1871 on the site of the Battle of Ōhaeawai. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The restoration included replacing the roof and bell tower, repainting inside and out, and restoring the interior furnishings. A new altar was made and decorated with tukutuku panels.

Redden said the school had been used as a community centre since classes stopped decades ago.

She hoped to see the building used for community education, for example by visiting schoolchildren now that New Zealand history was part of the school curriculum.

Manuhiri (guests) including MPs Kelvin Davis, Stuart Nash and Willow-Jean Prime are welcomed onto the grounds of St Michael's Church. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The changes brought by the project had been unsettling for some residents in the once-quiet area, which was now seeing more visitors and associated problems such as traffic and rubbish.

However, she believed the combined church, school and battlefield trail project was "just the beginning of new opportunities for our hapū".

The Bishop of Te Tai Tokerau, Te Kitohi Pikaahu, leads the rededication service for St Michael's Church. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The rededication service was led by the Bishop of Te Tai Tokerau, Te Kitohi Pikaahu, who spoke of justice and mercy — as exemplified by 19th century English philanthropist Dorothea Weale, who helped a group of Māori stranded in Britain return home and provided inspiration for the church; and the Ngāti Rangi chief Heta Te Haara, who had the British battle dead exhumed so they could be given a Christian burial in the grounds of the new church.

Government ministers and MPs Stuart Nash, Kelvin Davis and Willow-Jean Prime attended the service, as did Pearl Erstich, the only surviving grandchild of Heta Te Haara.

Heritage New Zealand and Top Energy contributed to the costs of the restoration.

Whangārei's David Tapene leads a waiata in the newly restored St Michael's Church. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A church with a vivid history

St Michael's Church is at the centre of some of the most extraordinary events in Northland history.

The church was built in 1871 on the site of a pā built by Ngāti Rangi chief Pene Taui during the Northern War of 1845-46, which began at Kororāreka (Russell) and ended in the siege of Ruapekapeka Pā near Kawakawa.

Te Pakanga o Ōhaeawai (The Battle of Ōhaeawai) was the war's penultimate battle and saw serious loss of life on the British side when Colonel Henry Despard launched a foolish, even suicidal, frontal assault against the heavily defended pā.

Local history expert Chanel Clarke (Ngāti Rangi) said Pene Taui's fighters had earlier managed to capture a British flag, which they raised up their own flagpole below a korowai [Māori cloak].

The insult apparently saw Despard lose reason and, as a consequence, many brave soldiers. More than 100 were killed or wounded.

The dead were buried with little ceremony at the British camp, which was roughly where Ohaeawai Native School was built many years later.

After St Michael's was built in 1871, another Ngāti Rangi chief, Heta Te Haara, petitioned the government for permission to exhume the British soldiers so they could have a Christian burial in consecrated ground.

That occurred in 1872. A prominent stone cross was erected in their memory.

The stone wall around St Michael's today follows the perimeter of the pā.

The origin of the church goes back to 1863 when a group of about 13 Maori, including a number from Ngāti Rangi, travelled to England with missionary William Jenkins.

Clarke said Jenkins had planned a series of "illustrated lectures" around England but when the relationship between the missionary and his Māori guests soured they were left stranded with no money and no way of returning home.

Eventually a philanthropist named Dorothea Weale (known as Mihi Wira in Māori) heard of their plight and set about raising the funds needed to get the group home.

Once they were safely home, the group's leader, Reihana Taukawau, asked how they could repay her kindness. Her answer was "build a church" — and so St Michael's was built.

While the group was still in England they managed to secure an audience with Queen Victoria.

The Queen noticed one of the women, Hariata Pikimaui, wife of Hare Pomare, was heavily pregnant. She told the couple she wanted to be the godmother and that the child should be named after her late husband.

So it was that Queen Victoria had a Māori godson. A christening set she gave the couple, inscribed with the words "To Albert Victor Pomare from his Godmother Queen Victoria, November 1863" is on display at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds museum.

Pearl Ertsich, centre, is the only surviving grandchild of Ngāti Rangi chief Heta Te Haara, who had the remains of British soldiers exhumed and re-interred at St Michael's Church. Photo / P de Graaf

Dignitaries await the speeches at the newly refurbished Ōhaeawai Native School, now set to become a community education centre. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The Bishop of Te Tai Tokerau, Te Kitohi Pikaahu, with his mokopuna, six-year-old Evo Pikaahu. Photo / Peter de Graaf