Go to National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa
Volume 53, 1921
Previous Article | Table of Contents | Next Article
This text is also available in PDF
(2 MB) Opens in new window
– 20 –

Middleton's Stockade.

When the military roadmakers pushed on beyond Johnsonville each of their camps was surrounded by a stockade, in case of any attack being made by Maori. The men also carried their arms every day they proceeded to work. It is not stated whether they worked under covering-parties or not, as we did in the Taranaki District in later years.

The first defensive post or camp north of Johnsonville was Middleton's Stockade, named after Ensign F. Middleton, of the 58th Regiment; it was situated on Section 26, west of the main road and about half a mile north

Picture icon

Stockade at the Taita. Pencil sketch by W. Swainson, 17th October, 184—

Picture icon

Fig. 1.—Remains of Paremata Blockhouse still standing in 1920.
Fig. 2.—Old blockhouse near Wallaceville, built in 1860–61. Photo by J. McDonald 1916, taken from a point near the bastion, and within the area originally stockaded. The timber lying in the foreground covers the mouth of the well.

– 21 –

of the old Half-way House. It stood on the spur just above the road-line at the corner and rock-cut formerly known as “Pyebald's Corner,” “Byass's Corner,” and “Gibraltar Corner.” This post was built and occupied by men of the 58th Regiment. Each of these stockades from Johnsonville to the Ferry (or Jackson's Ferry), just north of the Porirua Railway-station, was named after the officer in charge of the post.

Previous Article | Table of Contents | Next Article