Mission House facts for kids
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| Location | Kerikeri, Far North District, Northland, New Zealand |
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The Mission House in Kerikeri, New Zealand, is a very special building. It was finished in 1822 and is the oldest house still standing in New Zealand! It was built by the Church Missionary Society as part of the Kerikeri Mission Station. Sometimes, people also call it Kemp House.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Starting the Mission
In the early 1800s, a man named Samuel Marsden helped start an Anglican mission in New Zealand. This mission aimed to share Christian teachings. He sent lay preachers, who were not priests, to live in the Bay of Islands. They lived under the protection of Hongi Hika, a powerful chief of the local Ngāpuhi tribe. In November 1819, Marsden bought a large area of land, about 53 square kilometers, from the Ngāpuhi people.
Building the Mission House
Marsden asked Reverend John Gare Butler to build the mission station's main buildings. These buildings were placed near the Ngāpuhi pā, which was a fortified village called Kororipo in Kerikeri. With the help of Māori workers and skilled European builders, Butler finished the main Mission House by 1822.
Building the house was not always easy. At one point, the work was interrupted when Chief Hongi Hika returned from Britain. He brought back many muskets, which are a type of gun. Kororipo pā then became a base for the Ngāpuhi tribe's military campaigns during the Musket Wars. These wars were a series of battles between different Māori tribes.
The House's Design and Changes
Butler's house was a two-story building with a verandah and two chimneys. It was built in a style called Georgian, and its outside walls were covered with weatherboards. The main wood used for building was kauri, a strong native New Zealand tree.
Over the years, the house changed a bit. In the 1830s, a small addition called a "skilling" was built. The verandah was made bigger in 1843. Later, in the 1920s, a bathroom was added behind the kitchen.
New Occupants and a New Name
Reverend Butler left in 1823. After him, George Clarke lived in the house until the early 1830s. By this time, the Ngāpuhi tribe had moved away from Kororipo. However, the mission station was strong enough that it no longer needed the pā's protection.
In 1832, James and Charlotte Kemp moved into the house. They were part of a growing mission presence that included the nearby Stone Store. The Kemps later bought the house, and it stayed in their family for 142 years! Because of this, many people started calling it Kemp House.
In 1974, Ernest Kemp, a descendant of James and Charlotte, generously donated the house. He gave it to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, which is now called Heritage New Zealand.
A Museum Today
The Mission House was recognized as a very important historical site on June 6, 1983. Heritage New Zealand has carefully restored the building. They tried to make it look like it did around 1843. Today, the Mission House and the Stone Store are both museums. They are open to the public, so visitors can explore and learn about their history.
Special Discoveries
In 2000, two old writing slates were found at Kemp House. These slates were used by two girls who attended the mission school to practice writing in the Māori language. One of the girls was Rongo Hongi, the daughter of Chief Hongi Hika. These slates are very important because they are some of the only known examples of Māori writing from the 1830s. In 2018, these Kerikeri Mission Te Reo Slates were added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Aotearoa New Zealand Ngā Mahara o te Ao register. This means they are recognized as a significant part of the world's heritage.
Gallery
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Mission House
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Mission House is situated where the Kerikeri River (right) meets the Kerikeri Inlet. The stone store bridge was located for decades where the ford can be seen; it was removed in late 2008.
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Rear view showing gardens
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After a century and a half the name officially changed from Kemp House to Mission House, but an early sign remains, deteriorating in the weather
