Fort Strode.^*

In Wakefield's Handbook, published in 1848, is a short description of the eastern or Paua-tahanui arm of Porirua Harbour, in which occurs the statement, “Two stockades, one of which is called Fort Strode, at different points of this north arm, have been occupied by small military detachments.”

One of these posts was that described above; the other, Fort Strode, named after Sub-Inspector A. C. Strode, of the Police Force, was situated on the terrace-like point of Motu-karaka, on the northern shore of this eastern arm of the harbour. The earthworks of the post are still to be seen near the point, which on some old maps is marked “Police Point,” on account of some police having been stationed there, under, I believe, Mr. Tandy. This post was built on the site of the position occupied by Te Rangihaeata after he left Taupo (Plimmerton) and prior to his removal to Paua-tahanui. His sojourn at Motu-karaka was rendered uncomfortable by young McKillop, a midshipman of H.M.S. “Calliope” (afterwards McKillop Pasha), who mounted a gun on the long-boat of the “Tyne” (wrecked shortly before at Island Bay), and strolled up and down the harbour bombarding hapless hostiles, and puncturing the atmosphere with cannon-balls.

In those days of the “forties” the ferry charge from Paremata to Jackson's Ferry was 1s. 6d., to Paua-tahanui the same, to Fort Strode 9d., and to Cooper's, at Whitireia, 9d.

We have now enumerated all the posts established in the Wellington District in the “forties,” and explained their situations. Other details and remarks concerning some of them, as Fort Richmond, Paremata, and Paua-tahanui, are not given here, not being necessary to a paper that is designed merely to draw attention to these places of interest. Further notes on some of them were published in a series of papers on “Porirua and They Who Settled it” in the Canterbury Times of 1914.