Recently David Bundy, Joseph Aldridge and I (with permission) walked up the valley adjacent to St Cuthbert's Church, on land that was once a part of Thomas Potts' farm when he and his family lived at Ohinetahi. Following the stream bed we found evidence of old stone walls, paths and steps which suggested there had once been a walkway in the shade of the lovely native bush and exotics planted by Potts.
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| Ohinetahi Valley stream bed |
Higher up and out in the grassland David pointed out the ruins of an early farm worker's cottage. We found the collapsed brick chimney, covered with grass and surrounded by an old home orchard, the trees still bearing fruit.
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| Revealing the old brick chimney |
Further on, the site of another cottage. We found some intriguing bricks. And everywhere the beautiful trees planted by Potts. Also lots of regenerating native bush.
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| A home-made brick? |
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| Old exotic with regenerating natives beneath |
One of the many pleasures of writing about the head of the harbour has been finding out more about Thomas Potts. He was a very influential figure in the early development of this area and an indefatigable champion of the native flora and fauna.
More on Potts to come...
My great-grandfather Ernest Walter Long leased the big house called Ohinetahi after Thomas Potts's death, and all his children were born there between 1895 and 1904. Ernest was a so-called Remittance Man we believe, paid by his family in England to stay in NZ. His first wife was buried at St Cuthberts in 1906.
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