Protecting Our Heritage

Maori Heritage Archaeological Sites Local Government Heritage Covenants Funding for Heritage Protection Heritage at Risk

February 2002

Kerikeri Mission Station & Stone Store

It is possible future generations will not be able to see these historic buildings. They are in serious danger of damage or destruction by traffic and flooding.

1981: floodwaters threaten the Mission House and Stone Store (right of picture), built where the Kerikeri River enters the Kerikeri Basin. Picture: Northern Publishing

The Kerikeri Basin is of outstanding importance in New Zealand history. It is the single most evocative site of early Maori-Pakeha contact. Kororipo Pa and the Kerikeri Mission Station are of unrivalled heritage worth to New Zealand and the world. The buildings of the Kerikeri Mission Station, the Stone Store and the Kerikeri Mission House, are New Zealand's oldest surviving buildings. But it is possible future generations will not be able to see these two historic buildings. They are in serious danger of damage or destruction by traffic and flooding.

In 1981, floodwater flowed right through the Mission House. Photo: Northern Publishing

In 1981 the house and store were flooded for the first time in history. The buildings and their contents suffered severe damage and the Mission House was almost swept away. Since then there have been more floods and flood waters have again threatened the buildings a number of times. One reason for the increased flooding is the bottleneck created by the Kerikeri River bridge, which is near the Mission House. The bridge restricts the flow of the river and raises the water level when heavy rains occur. An assessment of the 1981 flood indicated that the water would not have reached either building if the bridge had not held the water back. Also contributing to the increased severity of flooding is higher rainfall and worse storms. This trend is expected to continue.

Debris banked up against the bridge during a flood turns it into a dam. The bridge is, therefore, a major part of the problem at Kerikeri. Picture: Northern Publishing

The Stone Store is also under threat from increased traffic on the highway that runs around it. The building is affected by vibrations of passing traffic, which have increased as the volume and weight of traffic have grown. The safety of pedestrians crossing the road to visit the Store and Mission House is also a concern.

The Historic Places Trust would like to see a traffic bypass built and the Kerikeri River bridge removed. It is working with the Far North District Council to find a solution. The two bodies recently convened a meeting about the issues with Minister of Transport Mark Gossche, Associate Minister of Transport Judith Tizard, John Carter M.P. and representatives from Transit, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Transfund, and the Department of Conservation. All present acknowledged the significance of the buildings and the risk to them. A further meeting is planned for April 2002, following completion of the Far North District Council's Kerikeri Heritage Bypass Study. The study will assess possible levels of funding from Transfund or other possible sources.

The Trust will keep you advised on progress. In the meantime we would like your assistance. Please write to the Trust's Chief Executive, Dr Bill Tramposch, supporting an urgent solution that will enable the Kerikeri Mission Station to survive as a place of national importance. These letters will help the Trust assure the Far North District Council and Central Government that its members are right behind finding a solution. We have put a form letter (Acrobat file) which you can use if you do not have time to write a letter of your own here.