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Research Article
Ferdinand Hochstetter’s trip to Coromandel and Waiheke Island, 7–13 June 1859
expand article infoSascha Nolden, Hugh R. Grenfell§
‡ Unaffiliated, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
§ Unaffiliated, Auckland, New Zealand
Open Access

Abstract

This paper presents an annotated English translation of Ferdinand Hochstetter’s handwritten German-language manuscript diary from the period 7-13 June 1859 when he travelled on Captain John Grundy’s cutter Maid of the Mill to Coromandel and Waiheke Island in the company of Charles Heaphy and Julius Haast. Heaphy, explorer, surveyor, landscape artist and expert on the Coromandel goldfields, furnished Hochstetter with valuable information, and his maps, watercolours and pencil sketches from the excursion add visual evidence to the text. The diary is complemented by Auckland War Memorial Museum’s archival volume (MS-18) of receipts from Hochstetter’s visit and geological survey commissioned by the Auckland Provincial Government.

Abstract (Māori)

Kei roto i tēnei tuhinga ko tētahi whakapākehātanga o tētahi tuhinga a Ferdinand Hochstetter i tuhia ā-ringahia rā i tana rātaka i te takiwā o te 7-13 o Hune 1859, mō tāna haere mā runga i te kaipuke o Kāpene John Grundy e kīia ana ko Maid of the Mill, i tāna haerenga ki Te Tara-o-te-ika, ki Waiheke hoki ki te taha o Charles Heaphy rāua ko Julius Haast. He kaimātoro, he kairūri, he ringatoi taiao, he mātanga ki ngā wāhi koura hoki a Heaphy, i tāpiri ia i ētahi kōrero whakahirahira, i ētahi mapi, i ētahi whakaahua wai, i ētahi tuhinga hoki nō te haerenga hei whakaniko ataata mō ngā kupu. Ka noho tahi te rātaka ki te huānga (MS-18) e mau ana ngā whiwhinga nō te haerenga mai me te rūri mātai aronuku o Hochstetter, i tonoa ai e te Kāwanatanga ā-Rohe o Tāmaki Makaurau.

Keywords

Auckland Museum, diaries, Charles Heaphy, Coromandel, Ferdinand Hochstetter, geology, goldfields, manuscript maps, pencil sketches, Waiheke Island, watercolours

Introduction

This paper presents an annotated English translation of the manuscript German-language field diary of Ferdinand von Hochstetter (1829–1884) (Fig. 1), describing his seven-day excursion to the goldfields of Coromandel in the company of Julius Haast (1822–1887) (Fig. 2), and Charles Heaphy (1820–1881) (Fig. 3), from 7 to 13 June 1859.

The original diary entries are found on the initial 14 pages1 of the fourth volume of Hochstetter’s New Zealand field diaries (Fig. 4.), which go on to record his journeys in the Province of Nelson (Johnston and Nolden 2014). The trip to Coromandel included overnight stopovers at Waiheke Island, both on the voyage there and back, and a visit to Kawakawa Bay. This was the third trip Hochstetter made under the guidance of Heaphy, following his earlier explorations of the coal deposits at Hunua and Drury, 28–30 December 1858, and a visit to the North Shore of Auckland, 5–7 February 1859. An intended trip to visit the copper mines on Great Barrier and Kawau islands did not take place because of inclement winter weather (Hochstetter 1867 p. 22).

Hochstetter’s observations, commentary, and description of his visit provide an historical record of the knowledge of geology and state of the goldfields in 1859 and adds valuable insight into the relationship between Hochstetter and Heaphy (Isdale 1964). One might conclude that this relationship was a friendly one built on a degree of mutual respect, before devolving into public controversy in 1864 when the English translation of Hochstetter and Petermann (1863) by Carl Frank Fischer (d. 1893) (Hochstetter and Petermann 1864) was published (Mason 2002, 2003; Schoeman 2012; Grenfell 2013, 2023).

Heaphy provided Hochstetter with a map of the area (Heaphy 1857), which Hochstetter annotated (Grenfell 2022). Hochstetter also referred to the Admiralty charts and noted incorrect or more archaic phonetic renderings of toponyms.

Hochstetter provided a first-hand account of a voyage on the Maid of the Mill captained by John William Grundy (1819–1883), in the Hauraki Gulf and Firth of Thames with descriptions of geological features and references to numerous islands. He also met people residing at Kawakawa Bay and Coromandel, stayed at George Beeson’s Coromandel Hotel, visited the property of James Preece (1801–1870), the sawmill of Charles Ring (1822–1906), and made reference to Frederick Septimus Peppercorne (1813–1882).

The important contribution of Heaphy is also most evident in the detailed summary of the history and state of the goldfields, the role of government in managing and licensing the field, and the manuscript maps and sketches in both pencil and watercolour, reproduced as figures in this paper. Other figures include three original sketches by Hochstetter in the diary, and printed and manuscript maps relating to the area provided by Heaphy with annotations and geological colouring by Hochstetter.

Hochstetter went on to publish a number of books and papers on New Zealand after his visit, and the geological exploratory excursion to Coromandel, and engraved illustrations based on Heaphy’s sketches are featured in his books on New Zealand, published in German (Hochstetter 1863), English (Hochstetter 1867), and his geological report on the geology of New Zealand, published as part of the official results of the Novara expedition (Hochstetter 1864), available in translation by Charles Fleming (1959). For example, in Hochstetter (1867, 94–98) the excursion is also discussed and details of the Coromandel goldfields are given.

The diary forms part of the Hochstetter Collection Basel, first documented and digitised by Sascha Nolden with the assistance of Sandy B Nolden from 2010 (Nolden 2014). Since 30 April 2016 the Hochstetter Collection Basel is held in the Natural History Museum in Vienna (Nolden 2016).

The diary is complemented as an historical primary source by the Auckland War Memorial Museum’s archival volume of financial records (correspondence, invoices, and receipts) relating to the Auckland Provincial Government commissioned Geological Survey. The volume with the reference number MS-18 is titled Expenses of the Geological Survey of the Auckland Province. Dr Ferdinand von Hochstetter. 1859–1860 (Auckland War Memorial Museum AWMM MS-18) (Fig. 5).

This volume provides many pertinent details on all aspects of the geological survey, including names of persons contracted to assist, transport hired, freight costs incurred, provisions ordered, beverages consumed, equipment, photographs, books, maps and charts purchased, and surveys completed (e.g., Fig. 6). The invoices and receipts enable persons and subject matter vaguely referenced in the narrative account of the diary to be identified and verified.

Figures 1–3. 

1. Ferdinand Hochstetter (1829–1884). Studio portrait by Bruno Lancel Hamel, 1859. Auckland War Memorial Museum, PH-ALB-84-p5-1. 2. Julius Haast (1822–1887). Studio portrait attributed to Bruno Lancel Hamel, 1859. John Webster Collection, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, 881-01. 3. Charles Heaphy (1820–1881). Cabinet card studio portrait of Heaphy in military uniform wearing his Victoria Cross medal, c. 1867. Auckland War Memorial Museum, PH-2007-12-1.

Figures 4, 5. 

4. Hochstetter’s fourth New Zealand diary, which opens with the entries describing the trip to Coromandel and Waiheke Island. Hochstetter Collection Basel. 5. Auckland Museum’s archival volume, Expenses of the Geological Survey of the Auckland Province. Dr Ferdinand von Hochstetter 1859–1860. Auckland War Memorial Museum AWMM MS-18.

Figure 6. 

Charles Heaphy’s summary invoice of expenses for the provincial government, headed Dr Hochstetters visit to Coromandel & Waiheke. Auckland War Memorial Museum AWMM MS-18.

Diary entries for 7 to 13 June 1859

Excursion to Coromandel

7 June

At 12 o’clock the 18-ton cutter Maid of the Mill, Captain J Grundy2, was ready to take me to Coromandel to survey the goldfields; a fine little vessel with a reputation for good seaworthiness.3 Mr Heaphy4 on this occasion companion and travel marshal, Haast5, also the captain and first mate, three Māori and James6, then two gentlemen7 who had joined us, so our party consisted of 11 people. We sailed at 1 o’clock with a fresh south-westerly breeze in our favour, we sailed at 6 miles per hour to Waiheke Island8 and anchored at 4.30 pm in the small bay of Matuku9 or Manganese Bay on the south-eastern side of the island on the entrance to the channel which runs between Ponui10 and Waiheke to the Firth11 of Thames (Fig. 7).

Figure 7. 

Location maps of Auckland and Coromandel with places mentioned in the diary. Map by Hugh Grenfell 2023.

Waiheke is a romantic island with numerous bays, half belonging to the government, half to Māori; low hill country, still partly forested; much firewood is shipped from there to Auckland. Pukeokai12 north-northeast from Awaawaroa Bay13 is the highest peak on the island, circa 300 feet. The whole island consists of primary formation, grey quartzite argillaceous schists, and red jasper-like chert; jasper the predominant rock14. Everywhere clear stratification striking north-northwest. At times dipping east and others west at 60–70°.

The shores of Matuku Bay (Fig. 8) are nothing but red jasper rocks, clearly marked in the layered directions, often traversed by white quartz veins and black psilomelane veins. A few years ago, a large quantity of manganese ore was shipped to Sydney from here (Fig. 9). The ore occurs in large masses, thick lumpy veins cutting the strata perpendicular to east [page 2] through to west. It is remarkable how the steel-hard, sharp-edged jasper rock is completely decomposed in places by clay flaked red or red and yellow in iron oxide, with completely preserved layers and structure, so that the otherwise hard rock can then be cut with a knife.

Copper ore is also said to occur further north on the east coast of the island. Red jasper is said to be the main rock of the island, and also predominant on Pakihi Island15 – regularly cone-shaped, volcano-like peak on this island – and on Ponui Island.

Regarding the rest of the terrain we passed today, the following notes:

Motutapu16 east of Rangitoto17. On the western side of the island is still the Auckland Tertiary Formation, but the greater western half of the island is phyllititic slate. Heaphy says that the Tertiary Formation is interspersed by many basalt veins18. Active springs of fresh water at the foot of Rangitoto.

Taylor’s Island19 probably still all Tertiary, if the middle higher part doesn’t consist of old basalt conglomerate.

Brown’s Island20 one of the Auckland volcanoes with basalt reefs extending far to the south has two craters, the southern one open to the southeast, characteristically small parasitic cones at the base. On the northern side, as on the North Head, horizontally stratified layers of ash.

All the other islands east of here are of the primary formation.

The tuff crater at Tamaki Creek Point21 has the following profile: (Fig. 10).

Tuff | Faults where tuff craters! [page 3]

Figure 8. 

Charles Heaphy, ‘Te Matuku Waiheke’, 1859, with the Maid of the Mill (right). Pencil on paper, 121 × 213 mm. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 1.4.5; Nolden and Nolden 2011: 31. Note: The artwork by Heaphy from this trip with Hochstetter are characterised by two distinct types of paper, in this instance a heavy stock with a rougher “crayon” surface texture, and a smoother “drawing” paper watermarked J Whatman 1854, as for example in Fig. 8. On 6 June 1859 the provincial government was invoiced by Auckland bookseller and stationer George Thomson Chapman (1824–1881), for “2 Sheets Antiquarian Drawing Paper, 3 Sheets Tinted Crayon Paper, 1 Dozen Drawing Pencils” at a total cost of 1 pound sterling. Auckland War Memorial Museum 1860 AWMM MS-18.

Figure 9. 

Charles Heaphy, ‘Vom Manganese Point, Waiheke aus’ [From Manganese Point, Waiheke Island], June 1859. The Maid of the Mill in centre. Pencil on paper, 234 × 381 mm. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 1.4.6; Nolden and Nolden 2011: 32. Note: View south from Manganese Point (not named today, -36.849681, 175.073833) towards Passage Rock and the Hunua Ranges.

Figure 10. 

Diary sketch 1: Tuff crater at Tamaki Creek Point (on page 2 of diary).

Wednesday, 8 June

We had made ourselves as comfortable as possible in our tents on Waiheke Island. At night a fresh wind blew from the south, and in the morning clear skies, fine weather, like the most beautiful summer day. We had to load the cutter with ballast in order to be safe for the crossing of the Firth of Thames, in which the sea is usually extraordinarily high. The boat was also set; then breakfast.

All this kept us for so long that we were not able to lift anchor before 10 o’clock. Unfortunately the southerly breeze died just as we were about to pass south of Ponui Island in the Sandspit Passage to sail out into the open Firth of Thames, we lay there becalmed for two hours before a strong tide carried us back. Around 1 o’clock the breeze rose again, a light breeze from the east, a sea breeze, as usual when the weather is very fine. As the wind was blowing straight from Coromandel, we unfortunately had no prospect of reaching Coromandel and preferred to anchor in Taupo Bay22 (Fig. 11) and enjoy ourselves ashore as much as we could until after sunset, with likely a land breeze from the south.

Taupo is a pretty bay surrounded by hills, in which there are several Māori settlements. The main settlement bears the name Taupo23 (Fig. 12). We met many indigenous people here and bought eight specimens of a pretty green parrot.24 Geologically, the bay offers little of interest. The mountains all around are formed of old primary strata, which here have a very peculiar character. On the beach there are lots of heavily rounded boulders of a hard, blue-black rock with a splinter fracture, which at first glance seems to be completely different from the brown, fissured, sandstone-like rock interspersed with narrow quartz veins in all directions that is in the cliffs. [page 4]

Figure 11. 

Untitled map of Auckland, the Firth of Thames, and Coromandel Peninsula, showing Great South Road and the route of the journey from Auckland to Waiheke Island and Kawakawa Bay. Watercolour, ink and pencil on linen-backed paper, ca 240 × 560 mm. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 3.2.12; Nolden and Nolden 2013: 23.

Figure 12. 

Charles Heaphy, ‘Kriegscanoe (Vordertheil) in Taupo am Waitemata’ [Prow of waka in Taupo on the Waitemata], June 1859. Watercolour and pencil on paper, 235 × 291 mm. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 1.4.3; Nolden and Nolden 2011: 29.

A closer examination, however, shows that the diorite-like boulders are only weathered core material, which are surrounded by iron-rusty crusts in the bedrock. The rock is completely devoid of fossils and without clear stratification, a strongly metamorphosed greywacke-like sandstone, which sometimes has a very fine-grained crystalline diorite appearance and which I have to attribute to the same formation as the jasper and more argillaceous rocks. The same rocks are on the opposite side, on the shores of Ponui Island.

We were back on board at sunset. The expected southerly land breeze sprang up slowly after sunset and at 8 o’clock in the evening we sailed at 5 knots on a glorious moonlit night across the Firth of Thames. By 9.30 pm we were at the small island of Tuhuia:25 Latitude: 36°48'2’’ South. Longitude: 175°24'1’’ East.26

But now near land the wind left us, and partly with the tide, partly by light breezes, we slowly advanced 3 miles to within the Heads of Coromandel Harbour, where we anchored about 2 o’clock in the morning near the southern land.

Thursday, 9 June

Glorious morning after a dewy, starry night. Only then could I fully see where we were. To the right and left steep cliff shores rising to sharply defined forestless hills, in the background wooded jagged mountain peaks = Castle Hill27 1610’ high, other peaks of the Cape Colville Range28 rising up to 2600 and 2800’ (Fig. 13).

Figure 13. 

Charles Heaphy, ‘Coromandel Harbour’. The Maid of the Mill left of centre. Pencil on paper, 125 × 217 mm. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 1.4.12; Nolden and Nolden 2011: 39. Note: Reproduced as a woodcut illustration in Hochstetter’s Geologie von Neuseeland (Hochstetter 1864: 89). It is most likely a view from Patapata Point towards Preece Point and Castle Rock.

The heads on both sides at the harbour entrance consist of trachytic tuffs and conglomerates just like in the Patetere Plateau29, as I was able to determine from the rocks that I had collected for me on shore. [page 5]

Many mistakes in the spelling of the names on the English nautical chart of Auckland Harbour.30

Read instead of:

Pakii – Pakihi

Hieh – Ihi

Rakino – Urakino

Maidedea – Mateatea

Waroa Bay – Awawaroa

Shouraka – Hauraki

Ponoui – Ponui (also called Motuna)

Rotaro – Tarataroa

Pakatoa – Pakatua

Tarekeh – Tarakihi

Tapu – Motu tapu

Koreho – Korea

Also on the southeast side of Waiheke two bays cut much deeper than shown on the chart, Matuku Bay where we anchored is one of those bays (Fig. 14).

Figure 14. 

‘Map of the Auckland District. 1852.’ Published by Smith, Elder & Co. London, & J. Williamson, Auckland, 1853. Watercolour, ink and pencil on printed map, 327 × 407 mm. Fragment with annotations by Hochstetter. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 3.2.14; Nolden and Nolden 2013: 25. Note: This map was originally issued folded and bound into the book: William Swainson, Auckland, The Capital of New Zealand, and the country adjacant: Including some account of the gold discovery in New Zealand (London: Smith, Elder & Co., J. Williamson, 1853), with the title page including the reference “With a Map of the Auckland District, from recent surveys”. The map was very likely also sold separately, as the Auckland Provincial Government was invoiced by William Chisholm Wilson (1810–1876), bookseller and stationer in Shortland Street, for a number of books, charts, and maps for the “Austrian Expedition”, including on 27 December 1858 for two copies each of ‘Entrances to the Manukau’, ‘Auckland Harbour’, and a ‘Map Auckland District’ (Fig. 10). On 5 January 1859 copies of each of the following [Admiralty] charts were invoiced: ‘Tauranga Harbour’, ‘Wangari’, ‘Wangaruru’, ‘Kawau’, ‘Rangaounuo’, and ‘Whaingaroa’, for full titles see catalogue (Hydrographic Office 1857). The books supplied on 23 December 1858 were Sir George Grey, Maori Mythology; William Williams, A Dictionary of the New Zealand Language (second edition was published in 1852), and a pamphlet by Richard Taylor (Auckland War Memorial Museum 1860 AWMM MS-18).

We were lying in complete calm just inside the harbour entrance, which gave me the opportunity to examine the cliffs on both banks – all trachyte breccia, as at Manukau North Head, only a little more weathered and decomposed, and in the breccia-forming rocks predominantly trachyte with lighter colours, white with hornblende crystals or red with brown mica and sanidine, very similar to porphyry.

We cooked our breakfast and a very light sea breeze that came in slowly took us deeper into the harbour. But now the boat was deballasted again and we rowed along the north-west shore of the harbour.

The Māori call the Coromandel Harbour Waiau, one of the most beautiful and best harbours in New Zealand, surrounded by small neat bays separated by projecting rocky headlands. The outer islands and peninsula surrounding the harbour are owned by the government, [page 6] but the interior of the mainland is all in the hands of the Māori. Here the pā of the Māori, and there in small bays the first settlements of European settlers. We landed at Aropawa Bay31, where a shipbuilder also keeps a very comfortably furnished hotel32 (Fig. 15).

Figure 15. 

Charles Heaphy, ‘Coromandel Harbour from Mr. Beeson’s Verandah’. With the Maid of the Mill on right. Pencil on paper, 125 × 217 mm. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 1.4.10; Nolden and Nolden 2011: 37. Note: View looking east, with the Maid of the Mill portrayed on the right.

We had a glass of beer here.33 Nearby is the Whanganui Island34 separated from the mainland by a shallow boat passage. On both sides of the boat passage there are compact eruptive masses, lodes or veins of a very phonolitic-looking rock, on the north side of the passage in basalt-like regular columns lying obliquely against the harbour. Observed masses of veins to the east on the coast similar to those at Manukau Harbour.

Patapata Point35 is interesting because here the trachytic breccia, which otherwise occurs in hard angular masses of rock, has broken down to a clayey mass through and through, so that the whole can be cut with a knife. The colour and shape have been preserved, so that the argillaceous face has an extraordinarily peculiar soapstone-, or sausage-like appearance. Each fragment is surrounded by a black line of iron-manganese, which makes it stand out even more clearly from the enclosing tuffaceous matrix (Fig. 16).

Figure 16. 

Charles Heaphy, ‘Trachyt-Breccie. Patapata Point am Coromandel-Hafen, Prov. Auckland’ [Trachyte breccia at Patapata Point in Coromandel Harbour, Auckland Province], [1859]. Watercolour and pencil on paper, 213 × 122 mm. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 1.4.9; Nolden and Nolden 2011: 36. Note: Reproduced as a woodcut illustration in Hochstetter’s Geologie von Neuseeland (Hochstetter 1864: 88).

From there we crossed to Kowhai Point36, where I was to see quartz veins, which are believed to be as gold bearing as the quartz found on the slope of the high central ridge. Also, a Cornish miner named Peppercorne37 had started a copper ore adit here but abandoned it38. This information interested me, we landed, but even then the formation was only trachyte breccia, interspersed with thin, insignificant veins of siliceous mass, which can in fact be taken for quartz. But an alert eye will soon notice the difference [page 7] between these thin chalcedony and chert-like quartz veins, and the massive white crystallised gold-quartz veins, which belong to the primary clay-slate formation overlaid by the trachytic tuff rocks. Neither amethyst nor quartz crystals will be found in these narrow veins, but rather thin chalcedony-like crusts with a kidney-shaped surface.

The next day Heaphy brought me a large quantity of such quartz crusts with kidney-like surfaces from Teteka Point39. In addition there are real chalcedony and carnelian rubble, chert-like vein masses of all colours including red jasper.

Silica extrusions in the form of chalcedony, carnelian, agate, jasper are very characteristic of the trachyte tuffs and trachyte breccia, sometimes in the form of thin veins running through, sometimes in kidney-shaped, almond-shaped extrusions. In addition, there are large blocks of silicified wood found all over the Coromandel coast, which also belong to the trachytic tuff rocks. All these are the same occurrences like those in the trachyte breccias and tuffs on the west coast north of Manukau Harbour. These silica extrusions belonging to the volcanic sedimentary rock outcrops must be strictly distinguished from the gold-bearing quartz outcrops associated with the primary rock.40

The characteristics of the trachyte tuffs and breccias are as follows:

In the vicinity of the sawmill41 on the Waiau River as exposed in the track cuttings, where the breccias and tuffs are decomposed into argillaceous clay without clear stratification in all variegated colours, the same as the variegated conglomerate clays on my map of Auckland. Predominantly brownish-red clayey masses with white kaolin spots, [page 8] and sometimes large solid trachytic blocks of a whitish-grey colour, not infrequently containing hornblende, black mica, but then also many blocks of dark blue-black basaltic colour, which one could mistake for basalt, but which are also trachytic, and not infrequently full of small pyrite cubes. When decomposed, such rocks look like white kaolin, and then the pyrites appear more distinctly. Eruptive vein masses in the tuffs usually consist of dark, finely crystalline basalt and phonolite-like rocks with columnar form, such as the so-called basalt columns on Mercury Island (Fig. 17). Glassy feldspar always betrays the trachyte nature.

Figure 17. 

Upper: Charles Heaphy, ‘Motu roa an der Mercury Bay Nordinsel’ [Moturoa at Mercury Bay, North Island]. Pencil on paper, 235 × 292 mm. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 1.4.11; Nolden and Nolden 2011: 38. Lower: Chromolithograph by Konrad Grefe, ‘Motu roa, an der Mercury Bay, Nordinsel (säulenförmiger Trachyt)’, Hochstetter 1864: 89, colour plate. Note: Cathedral Rock / Moturoa [-36.583624 175.773654], viewed from -36.586794 175.770435. Hochstetter makes special mention of Heaphy and acknowledges the contribution of this pencil sketch (above), which is reproduced as a colour plate (below), in Hochstetter’s Geologie von Neu-Seeland (1864). See also Grenfell 2022.

A peculiar occurrence in the trachyte breccia is the carbonaceous layers, in the bed of the Hinau Creek42, about 1½ miles up from its junction with the Waiau River43. On the right bank of the stream valley, cut about 12’ deep into the argillaceous rock, the following profile:

Trachyte breccia clayey decomposed:

Sandy clay 1 foot

Carbonaceous layer ½ foot

Trachyte breccia 2½ feet

Coal ½ foot

Trachyte breccia 1 foot

Coal 2 inches

Trachyte breccia

The strata strike h 8–9 and dip at 30° towards North East.44

The coal is a good black glance coal, but so contaminated with pyrites and clayey components that one [page 9] can hardly speak of coal, but only of very thin veins of coal, one inch thick. Besides, there is no coal formation here, hence no hope that a coal seam worth mining will ever be found.45

Under the trachytic tuffs and breccias in the deep creek gorges, primary phyllite slate rocks soon emerge, such as in the Mataawai Creek46 (Fig. 18) above the Waiau sawmill47 about 1 mile above the same blue-black phyllite slate rocks clearly layered to h 7–8 → dip at 70° South further upstream the stream falls 20 feet over such a cliff48. The gold was washed here from the bed of the brook itself. Years ago there were gold diggings on the banks of the stream, which is said to have been quite lucrative, but I saw little white quartz boulders, almost all trachyte and at the Hinau Creek I saw the same.

Figure 18. 

Charles Heaphy, No. 7. Black Boulder Peak. Castle Hill. Coromandel Harbour. [1859]. Ink and watercolour on paper, 320 × 460 mm. LDGSL/209 Geological Society of London. Note: This watercolour was one of seven Heaphy sent to the Geological Society of London together with a manuscript map to illustrate his paper on the Auckland volcanic field in 1859 (Heaphy 1860). The caption text in lower margin [centre:] “Castle Hill”. of {black boulder rock} about 1800 feet high; Coromandel Harbour [left:] Waiau Stream; Gold washings; Hills generally of Porphyritic Breccia with Slate “bars” across the Streams. Quarts viens [sic] frequent. [right:] Rock reported to be Granite. Note the references to Motutere/Castle Rock as both Black Boulder Rock and Black Boulder Peak. The view is east across the Waiau River and up Matawai Stream from [-36.800179 175.527749] towards Castle Rock. Matawai Stream is where alluvial gold was also found and there were later mining attempts. Geologically, the “slate bars” are steeply dipping greywacke basement beds cutting across the stream bed. The text note referring to granite on the right indicates the sketch predates Hochstetter’s visit and influence in June 1859. Compare with the original text on Heaphy’s 1857 map of the area (Fig. 20) and Hochstetter’s subsequent corrections and annotations. Further evidence is the use of the term “breccia” and suggests that the text was modified in 1859 before being submitted to the Geological Society of London.

Friday, 10 June

Gold diggings

When we arrived at Kapanga Creek49, and even before we had taken our things to a vacant house here on the shore belonging to a gentleman in Auckland, the chief of Kapanga “Peter” appeared, decently dressed, with an oar in his hand. He must have heard the purpose of my coming here and struck up a conversation with Heaphy about it. He seems little inclined to allow us to dig for gold and said, sticking his oar into the ground, “You can dig and see just like that, but you shouldn’t take anything with you.” Only after a long argument did he seem to give us a free hand to do what we wanted, and so we went out this morning, equipped like gold diggers with shovels, pickaxes and tin dishes50 to [page 10] the forest in the romantically beautiful Kapanga valley (Fig. 19).

Figure 19. 

Charles Heaphy (attrib.), ‘Auf der Halbinsel Coromandel’ [On Coromandel Peninsula]. Portrays Hochstetter (right) and Haast (left) panning for gold. Pencil on paper, 235 × 292 mm. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 1.4.13; Nolden and Nolden 2011: 40.

Fine fertile soil, a fertile alluvial bed about one mile wide and four miles long. On the east side of the port, from which small streams and river valleys run into the forest mountains. All vacant undeveloped land, the best location for a town on the shore of a fine harbour, but the Māori have only sold the hills that form the outer arms of the harbour and are now stubbornly refusing to sell any more, since the tribe, consisting of about 30 people, actually owns very little land. The Māori have only given the European sawmillers permission to exploit the kauri forests, and expect to be paid about 15 shillings to £1 for each kauri trunk.

After half an hour of walking we came to Mr Ring’s sawmill. Mr Ring51, from California, was the first discoverer of gold years ago. In Auckland there was a society wanting to secure by subscription the sum of £1,000 sterling52 as a reward for the first to discover a prospective goldfield.53 Ring and Heaphy then set about searching, and Ring was the first to discover the gold. An exploitation of the newly discovered gold deposits was then immediately initiated, the Māori agreed to allow this exploitation in return for a certain payment from the Europeans. But as a result, the government had to charge every gold digger a tax. Prospecting licences and gold-diggers’ licence. A licence had to be given, but nothing was to be paid for the first two months. Then all those who found gold had to pay 30 shillings per month. Circa 300 set to work in 1853. Heaphy was Gold Commissioner, the matter went on for about 6 months, only about 50 regular diggers, however, more and more difficulties arose with the Māori, the police had to be sent. A total of £1,100 was dug up, but much was concealed. The Māori received 2 shillings per month for each incoming digger and £1 per year for each square mile allowed to be dug (Fig. 20).

Figure 20. 

Charles Heaphy, ‘Coromandel gold district: Distinguishing the apparent geological formations’, 1857. Manuscript map, pencil, ink and watercolour on paper, 700 × 760 mm, with later annotations by Hochstetter. Universitätsbibliothek der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Historische Geographische Sammlung: AG 72-1.

The people couldn’t make a profit due to the high taxes, and so the matter came to an end, the gold deposits were said to be too poor, and the promised reward to the discoverer54 was not paid out. Now the Māori have become more and more obstinate, and no longer want to allow Europeans to search for gold, and the government is not wanting to sound the gold alarm again. [page 11]

So the matter is now in complete hiatus. – Two tribes, Peter in Kapanga, and Kitahi on the Waiau gave permission to dig for gold, but the land where the gold was dug belonged to Paul’s tribe and Paul wanted 30 shillings per month for everyone who came either for prospecting or digging. The resistance of Paul mainly a result of the influence of the missionaries, stopped the matter55 (Fig. 21).

Figure 21. 

A. Charles Heaphy, ‘Waitapu (holy water) Coromandel-Chief’. Watercolour and pencil on paper, ca 440 × 290 mm. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 1.4.7; Nolden and Nolden 2011: 33. B. Chromolithograph by Arno Meermann, proof print of frontispiece for Hochstetter (1863; 1867). Note: This watercolour was the source image for the frontispiece in Hochstetter’s Neu-Seeland (1863) and New Zealand (1867), where he described the subject as follows: ‘The frontispiece of this work gives us an idea of the half-civilized state in the very exterior of a still living chief. He wears European shirt and neck-lace, over it his Maori mantle, in one hand a gun, in the other a Maori weapon, the mere of nephrite. The albatros[s] feathers of old in their head-dress are supplanted by those of a peacock’ (Hochstetter 1867: 215).

Most of the gold is always found in the narrow valleys, where one can dig 4–5 feet deep through boulders onto the rock. Where the valleys extend in broader alluvial plains, there is always little and very light gold found. On the Kapanga the gold is always unrolled in flakes. But heavy gold and more tumbled at the Waiau.

We went to a small side stream of the Kapanga Creek to work (Fig. 19)56, where on the right and left were the holes from the gold rush days, white quartz boulders mostly of crystallized quartz lay around, I was the first to find a fine piece of gold, Heaphy began to wash, and lo and behold the result of the first wash was quite a number of finer flakes of gold gleaming from the black sand that remained. In addition, a few small gold nuggets with the gold leaves embedded in the quartz.

The following points are characteristic of the gold deposits in Coromandel:

  1. The gold is found in alluvial boulders in all the creek and river valleys flowing down both sides east and west of the Cape Colville Range.
  2. The gold-bearing alluvial consists of quartz boulders, more or less crystalline quartz, very common, and for Coromandel characteristically the crystals formed radially about a centre, often amethyst-coloured. The gold, however, is far more rare in such crystalline quartz masses than in dirty yellow, in some places reddish, finely crystalline quartz, with a porous or laminar structure, as if stratified. [page 12] The more such quartz boulders of various sizes in the alluvial, the richer in gold it was found. Mixed with the quartz boulders are more or less trachytic boulders and clayey decomposed masses of trachytic tuffs.
  3. When washing, the argillaceous masses come off first, the trachyte boulders are removed as well as the coarser quartz boulders, little by little nothing remains but black iron sand and fine gold leaf in small almost mica-thin flakes, next to small quartz pieces with ingrown gold leaf. The gold occurs as coiled leaflets, leaflets connecting two small pieces of quartz, etc. (Fig. 22).
  4. The alluvium of varying thickness, but never very thick and also at varying depths. The scree alluvial is superimposed of yellow, iron-shot clay, the diggers claim that they found the heaviest gold deeper down where the rubble rests on the rock, the lighter gold closer to the surface.
  5. Where did the gold come from? 57
  1. The gold definitely does not come from the chert- and chalcedony-like quartz veins that intersect the trachytic breccias, but comes from thick quartz veins, which appear wall-like in individual places on the highest ridge of the mountains, with a north-south trend, the slopes of the ranges are in some places full of large, sometimes house-sized blocks of quartz, which also undoubtedly come from the quartz reefs on the height of the ranges and have rolled down from there, these are the gold bearing quartz veins. Kōura the Māori term for gold.
  2. These gold bearing quartz veins are part of the primary argillaceous slate range that forms the backbone of New Zealand. This clay slate mountain range joins the deeper incised one on the slope of the range. [page 13] Creek valleys everywhere with the same geological character as those found at Maretai and Taupiri, but is otherwise overlaid by trachytic tuffs and breccias, and broken by trachytic vein masses. The trachytic tuffs and breccias are common throughout the mountains, and form similar hard sharp jagged crags at the top of the mountains, as at the Manukau North Head; e.g. in Castle Hill etc.
  3. The magnetic ironsand comes from the trachytic rocks and is not the happiest companion of the washed gold, since its separation causes difficulties.
  4. I do not consider the goldfields to be very substantial, but still worth exploiting.
Figure 22. 

Diary sketch in margin illustrating how gold occurs as coiled flakes and flakes connecting two small pieces of quartz (on page 12 of diary).

Saturday, 11 June

Visited Mr Preece62. I had met the old gentleman in Auckland. He had promised to collect for me. Unfortunately I did not find him at home, but I did find various shells and stones ready for me, which I took with me. His farm58has the prettiest location on the harbour, where, once a city graces the harbour, a church or castle would stand.

Addendum to the Gold diggings:

At the point where we washed were the following circumstances:

poor | kauri | Ring’s | Coolahan’s59 | very rich (Fig. 23)

Figure 23. 

Diary sketch of alluvial gold in creek with kauri tree (on page 13 of diary).

The gold-bearing alluvial is very superficial and was found richest up-stream of a large kauri tree. A gravel bed of quartz mixed with rotten vegetable matter on top and below large blocks of quartz 2–3 feet in diameter embedded in yellow or white clay. Down-stream of the kauri tree the gravel bed disappeared, that above only had a thickness of 4–5 feet overall, but the gold-bearing layer at most 6–18 inches. There were attempts [page 14] made to a depth 20 feet in one place, 27 feet in another, but nothing was found at depth except decomposed trachyte breccia.

Sunday, 12 June

The glorious weather, which has favoured us so much up to now, seemed changed today. After sunrise a southeasterly wind started, the mountains covered with clouds, it started to rain and the intended tour up the mountains to the quartz reefs could not be carried out. So we decided to return to Auckland after having breakfast at Mr Ring’s, before bad weather set in, a real easterly seemed to be on the way, the barometer had fallen low. Unfortunately we had to wait for the tide to get our boat out of the Kapanga Creek and only got on board at 3 o’clock. Our little boat was ready, it looked very menacingly windy and rainy, but we had a good quick crossing, across the usually stormy Firth of Thames and anchored at 7 o’clock in Waroa Bay60 on the south side of Waiheke (Fig. 20).

Monday, 13 June

Rainy and stormy, we set sail again at 7 am, the weather improved to our great joy, we went to Auckland with a fair wind from southeast at 5 miles per hour, and arrived there safely at 10.30 am. Satisfying feeling of having completed a task. Thereby my forays in the province of Auckland have happily ended.

[end of diary entries]

Conclusion

Hochstetter was obviously highly satisfied by the end of this excursion, which although affected by the weather, something that might have been expected in winter, the overall outcome was first-hand experience of panning for gold in New Zealand and gaining a better understanding of the Coromandel goldfields, including their history. Also Hochstetter showed that the local coal was of little value. The outing was well managed by Heaphy who used his local knowledge and contacts, including diplomatic skills to facilitate access. Captain Grundy provided safe passage in his fine cutter, and made the most of weather-dependent situations, by ensuring Hochstetter was able to visit two bays on Waiheke Island for overnight stays, and to meet the local people at Kawakawa Bay as stopovers during the journey. Haast and others are not mentioned, but no doubt all played their parts and the provincial government kept everyone well accommodated and provisioned, as is evident from the invoices and receipts (Fig. 24). Hochstetter was able to take away sufficient information to write authoritatively on the goldfields and Heaphy’s contemporaneous sketches and drawings served as the basis for woodcut and lithographed figures in his later publications on New Zealand (Hochstetter 1863, 1867).

Figure 24. 

Invoice issued to Charles Heaphy by Samuel Brown for the provisions supplied on 6 June 1859, showing that the needs of Hochstetter and party were well taken care of. Auckland War Memorial Museum AWMM MS-18.

Summary and epilogue

Following Hochstetter’s return to Auckland the following brief summary of the trip was published in the New Zealander newspaper:

Dr. Hochstetter’s Geological Exploration in Auckland.

Dr. Hochstetter, who left town in the “Maid of the Mill,” cutter, for Coromandel Harbour, on the 7th, returned on the 13th instant.

He was accompanied by Mr. Haast, and, on the part of the Provincial Government, by Mr. Heaphy, Provincial Surveyor. Mr. Kirkwood, the owner of the “White Swan” steamer, also accompanied the expedition, in order to ascertain personally the value of the coal recently found near Coromandel.

The islands of Waiheki and Ponui were examined, and the mainland at Taupo, near the Sand-spit Island, visited. The Manganese vein at Te Matuku was inspected, and specimens obtained of the various rocks and minerals.

At Coromandel Harbour the coal was examined and both gold fields explored. Mr. Heaphy and Mr. Ring pointed out a locality where a thin bed of auriferous quartz grit was known to exist, and the first shovel-ful washed yielded the usual show of grain and scale gold. Dr. Hochstetter then dug and washed a dish-ful, which yielded a quartz specimen, with a streak of gold through it of about the size of a hazel-nut, together with a considerable quantity of large scale gold – a most favourable “prospect;” and in every pan-ful washed, the gold scales abounded. We are not in possession of a knowledge of Dr. Hochstetter’s matured opinions on the subject, but we believe we may state that he considers the coal at Coromandel Harbour to be of insignificant extent, and that there exists a great quantity of gold not far from the locality where the specimens were obtained, but that the search should be carefully prosecuted amongst the quartz veins in the mountains rather than by digging in the al[l]uvial deposits. (New Zealander 18 June 1859)

At the end of his excursion to Coromandel (Fig. 25), Hochstetter remained in Auckland for some weeks, working on maps (Fig. 26), packing collections61, writing letters, reports, and giving a public lecture on the 24 June 1859, later published in newspapers, on the geology of Auckland province (Hochstetter 1859). And finally, Hochstetter was formally farewelled by the people of Auckland at an elaborate “Testimonial” event held at the specially decorated hall of the Mechanics’ Institute on 25 July62. But there are no diary entries for the period 14 June 1859 when he had returned from Coromandel to 27 July 1859, when he embarked on his voyage to Nelson via Taranaki and Wellington (Johnston and Nolden 2011).

Figure 25. 

Charles Heaphy, ‘The Chrystaline (Gold bearing) Range of Coromandel with its apparent continuation to the North Westward’, 1859. Watercolour and pencil on canvas-backed paper, ca 500 × 2100 mm. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 1.4.8; Nolden and Nolden 2011: 34–35.

Figure 26. 

Charles Heaphy, ‘Map of the District of Auckland. Waste Land Office’. Watercolour, ink and pencil on linen-backed tracing paper, 720 × 540 mm. Hochstetter Collection Basel, HCB 3.2.13; Nolden and Nolden 2013: 24. Note four ‘Gold’ locations annotated on Coromandel Peninsula.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank John Early at Auckland War Memorial Museum for editorial advice, Mike Johnston of Nelson for reviewing the manuscript, Sandy B Nolden of Wellington for image processing, Caroline Lam Archivist & Records Manager at Geological Society of London, and Martin Collett and Elizabeth Lorimer at Auckland War Memorial Museum Library for their knowledge and assistance. Acknowledgement is also due to Auckland War Memorial Museum for providing a digital research copy of MS-18, and Geological Society of London for permission to reproduce Heaphy’s watercolour in Fig. 18.

References

  • Auckland War Memorial Museum (1860) Expenses of the Geological Survey of the Auckland Province. Dr Ferdinand von Hochstetter 1859–1860. Auckland Provincial Council - Records, 1855–1863. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library, MS-18.
  • Davis COB (1855) Maori Mementos; being a series of addresses, presented by the native people, to His Excellency Sir George Grey. Williamson and Wilson, Auckland New Zealand.
  • Fleming CA (1959) Ferdinand von Hochstetter’s Geology of New Zealand: contributions to the geology of the provinces of Auckland and Nelson. Government Printer, Wellington, New Zealand.
  • Grenfell HR (2013) Fact versus fiction - the Hochstetter / Heaphy controversy revisited. Geoscience Society of New Zealand Newsletter 10: 15–18.
  • Grenfell HR (2022) Heaphy’s 1857 Coromandel area map annotated by Hochstetter. Geocene 31: 17–20.
  • Grenfell HR, Heath P (2024) Who was Frederick Septimus Peppercorne? Geocene 34: 2–9.
  • Hayward BW (2019) Volcanoes of Auckland: A Field Guide. Auckland University Press, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Heaphy C (1857) Coromandel gold district: Distinguishing the apparent geological formations. [Manuscript map; annotations by Hochstetter]. Humboldt University Berlin. Digital copy, Alexander Turnbull Library, MapColl-c832.15caq/1857/Acc.51904.
  • Heaphy C (1869) Map of Coromandel and the adjacent country, compiled from the latest government surveys, shewing the various land grants, purchased blocks, with the gold field boundary and the various diggings. Lithographed by John Varty, Auckland. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections Map 4455.
  • Hochstetter F (1863) Neu-Seeland. JG Cotta, Stuttgart, Germany.
  • Hochstetter F (1864) Geologie von Neu-Seeland. Staatsdruckerei, Vienna, Austria.
  • Hochstetter F (1867) New Zealand its physical geography, geology and natural history with special reference to the results of Government expeditions in the Provinces of Auckland and Nelson. JG Cotta, Stuttgart, Germany. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.122737
  • Hochstetter F, Petermann A (1863) Geologisch-Topographischer Atlas von Neu-Seeland: Sechs Karten hauptsächlich Gebiete der Provinzen Auckland und Nelson umfassend mit kurzen Erläuterungen. Aus den wissenschaftlichen Publikationen der Novara-Expedition. Justus Perthes, Gotha, Germany.
  • Hochstetter F, Petermann A (1864) The Geology of New Zealand: In explanation of the Geographical and Topographical Atlas of New Zealand. From the Scientific Publications of the Novara Expedition. Translated by Dr. C. F. Fischer. T. Delattre, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Hydrographic Office (1857) Catalogue of Charts, Plans, Views, and Sailing Directions. Hydrographic Office of the Admiralty, London, England.
  • Heaphy C (1853) Conference of Lieutenant-Governor Wynyard and native chiefs in Coromandel Harbour. The New Zealand Gold Field. [after Charles Heaphy] London. Illustrated London News, London, England. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22911831 [Accessed on: 2024-9-20]
  • Johnston MR, Nolden S (2011) Travels of Hochstetter and Haast in New Zealand. Nikau, Nelson, New Zealand.
  • Johnston MR, Nolden S (2014) Hochstetter’s First Nelson Diary: 27 July - 5 September 1859. Geoscience Society of New Zealand, Tākaka, New Zealand.
  • Mason AP (2002) The Hochstetter – Heaphy controversy, or: Whose map was it? Geological Society of New Zealand Historical Studies Group Newsletter 25: 31–40.
  • Mason AP (2003) The Hochstetter – Heaphy controversy. Some further information. Geological Society of New Zealand Historical Studies Group Newsletter 27: 33–40.
  • Nolden S (2014) The Hochstetter Collection in Basel: Cataloguing a Viennese Explorer’s Accumulation of Documentary Evidence of Nineteenth Century New Zealand. In: Bade J (Ed.) New Zealand and the EU: Austrian Visitors to Oceania: Their Activities and Legacies. Europe Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Nolden S (2016) Ferdinand von Hochstetter (1829–1884) Nachlass eines Allgemeingelehrten. Das Naturhistorische: Das Magazin des Naturhistorischen Museums, Vienna, Austria.
  • Nolden S, Nolden SB (2011) Hochstetter Collection Basel: Part 1 - New Zealand Paintings & Drawings. Mente Corde Manu, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Nolden S, Nolden SB (2013) Hochstetter Collection Basel: Part 3 - New Zealand Maps & Sketches. Mente Corde Manu, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Schoeman C (2012) Heaphy vs. Hochstetter: Controversy vs. Legacy. In: Bade R (Ed.) German Perspectives on New Zealand and the Pacific from the Eighteenth Century to the Present Day. Research Centre for Germanic Connections with New Zealand and the Pacific, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, 69 pp.
  • Scholefield GH (1940) A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington, New Zealand.
  • Stokes JL (1851) Coromandel Harbour, 1850. Hydrographic Office of the Admiralty, London, England.
  • Stokes JL, Drury B (1857) Entrances to Auckland Harbour. Hydrographic Office of the Admiralty, London, England.
  • Waitangi Tribunal (2006) Hauraki Report (WAI 686). Legislation Direct, Wellington, New Zealand.

1 Hochstetter’s page breaks are indicated by page numbers in square brackets, e.g. [page 2], in the translation.
2 John William Grundy (1819–1883), captain of the Maid of the Mill.
3 The Auckland Provincial Government chartered the Maid of the Mill to take Hochstetter to Coromandel at a cost of 10 pounds and 10 shillings, as per invoice dated 13 June 1859 (Auckland War Memorial Museum 1860 AWMM MS-18).
4 Charles Heaphy (1820–1881), English-born New Zealand artist, surveyor, explorer, and soldier who was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1867.
5 Julius Haast (1822–1887), German-born New Zealand scientist and museum director who arrived in Auckland on 21 December 1858, the day before Hochstetter and joined him on his journeys in New Zealand.
6 The Māori porters employed by the provincial government from 6 th and 7 th to 13 th June to attend Hochstetter, were named Mathew/Matiu, Kirihi/Kirihiri, and Kanehe/Kanaha; they were paid a daily rate of 4 shillings, less food expenses (Auckland Museum 1860). James was a 16-year-old valet appointed to assist Hochstetter.
7 The two gentlemen that Hochstetter does not identify by name here, were Heaphy’s brother-in-law, Charles Cyril George Churton (1839–1861), and the managing owner of the steamship White Swan, William Phippard Kirkwood (1801?-1866), (New Zealander 15 June 1859).
8 Waiheke Island [-36.804966, 175.106499].
9 Te Matuku Bay / McLeods Bay, Waiheke Island [-36.839172, 175.129967].
10 Ponui Island / Chamberlins Island [-36.865767, 175.179827]. Hochstetter intermittently uses the correct spelling, Ponui, and variant Punui in his diary. The original Māori name is Te Pounui-o-Peretū.
11 Frith [Firth] of Thames on early maps, including Admiralty charts. Hochstetter uses the term gulf.
12 Now named Maunganui (231 m) and part of the Puke Range [-36.812549, 175.118706].
13 Awaawaroa Bay, Waiheke Island [-36.831409, 175.104303]. Hochstetter renders this as Awawaroa Bay.
14 Most is not true jasper or chert but siliceous red or green argillites.
15 Pakihi Island, formerly also known as Sandspit Island [-36.908416, 175.164137].
16 Motutapu Island [-36.765939, 174.915555]. Original Māori names are Te Motu-tapu-a-Taikehu and Te Motu-tapu-o-Tinirau.
17 Rangitoto Island [-36.784728, 174.868145]. Original Māori names are Ngā Tuaitara-a-Taikehu and Te Rangi-i-Totongia-a-Tamatekapua.
18 Not observed today.
19 Motuihe Island / Te Motu-a-Ihenga [-36.812764, 174.947446].
20 Browns Island (Motukorea) [-36.829457, 174.894513].
21 Now Achilles Point. The crater Hochstetter describes and sketches is most likely Whakamuhu at Glover Park, St Heliers (Hayward 2019: 183).
22 Kawakawa Bay [-36.944473, 175.163612].
23 In the Admiralty chart of the period, both the villages of Kawakawa and Taupo are labelled (Stokes and Drury 1857).
24 Most likely one of the two more common of the three species of New Zealand parakeets, kākāriki: yellow-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus auriceps) and red-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae).
25 Now named Cow Island [-36.805574, 175.402179].
26 Minor editorial adjustments made to coordinates here. Survey data has been adjusted and corrected over time. Compare John Stokes, Coromandel Harbour, 1850. Admiralty Chart No. 2035, which gives the coordinates as: Tuhuia I. 36°43'35"S, 175°24'50"E. (Stokes 1851).
27 Motutere / Castle Rock (525 m) [-36.803224, 175.562642].
28 Colville Range, now Coromandel Range [-36.987593, 175.589244].
29 Patetere Plateau, now Mamaku Plateau [-38.051046, 176.065232], is an area of ignimbrite west of Rotorua which Hochstetter encountered in May 1859 during his survey expedition.
30 Admiralty Chart No. 1896, Stokes and Drury, Entrances to Auckland Harbour. London: Hydrographic Office of the Admiralty (Stokes and Drury 1857). The edition published on 30 August 1857, includes some of the corrections Hochstetter noted, many of his perceived errors persisted through many more iterations of the cartographic record, and some became the accepted spelling.
31 Aropawa Bay [-36.775124, 175.457368]. Hochstetter renders this as Arapawa Bay.
32 George Colquhoun McKenzie Beeson (1817?-1893), a Sydney-born shipbuilder, who in 1858 opened the Coromandel Hotel.
33 See receipt for beverages consumed at Beeson’s Coromandel Hotel (Auckland Museum 1860)
34 Whanganui Island [-36.782239, 175.447626]. Hochstetter uses the older orthography of Wanganui. Also known as Beeson’s Island.
35 Patapata Point is not currently named [-36.767492, 175.464664]. Patapata is a small bay just south of Wyuna Bay, Ruffin Peninsula (see Heaphy 1857). Patapata was the site of 1852 meetings with local iwi including the Te Matewara chief Paul following the discovery of gold. See section ‘Some account of the meeting at Patapata, Coromandel Harbour’ (Davis 1855: 132ff). The scene is imaged in the Illustrated London News (1853) with an engraving after Heaphy looking out from Patapata Bay towards Preece Point and Castle Rock.
36 Kowhai Point [-36.76237, 175.486937], is not named on current maps but is where the current Coromandel wharf / boat ramp is. Peppercorne who “owned” land here is annotated here in pencil on Heaphy’s 1857 map.
37 Frederick Septimus Peppercorne (1813–1882), London-born surveyor and civil engineer (Grenfell 2024). Hochstetter renders this name phonetically as ‘Peperkorn’ in the diary. Hochstetter included the following publication by Peppercorne in his list of literature on geology relating to New Zealand: Frederick S. Peppercorne, Geological and topographical sketches of the Province of New Ulster, Auckland, ‘Southern Cross’ Office, 1852 (Hochstetter 1863: 553).
38 Kowhai Point is the site of later gold mines underground such as the Golden Pah, Union Beach and Hauraki Main Lodes Mines (Grenfell pers research).
39 Teteka Point, now Preece Point [-36.779833, 175.484362]
40 Gold from the Hauraki Goldfield is from the Miocene-Pliocene volcanic sequence and not quartz in the “primary rock”.
41 Sawmill was located near junction of Waiau River and Matawai Stream [-36.800179, 175.527878]. See Heaphy map (1857).
42 Hinau Creek, marked as a coal location by Hochstetter on Heaphy (1857), is a tributary of the Waiau River, not currently named [-36.818973, 175.534315].
43 Location noted by Hochstetter on his copy of map (Heaphy 1857).
44 This is an historical representation of strike and dip, direction and measurement of inclined surfaces. In recording the orientation of inclined bedding or other planar surfaces Hochstetter used a simplified numbering scheme to measure strike. In this scheme north (360°) was represented by 0, east (90°) by 6 and south (180°) by 12. The ‘h’ stands for hour, or direction of the strike, and the strata dipped, in this case, at 30 degrees to the northeast.
45 Hochstetter here recognised that the local coal, (potentially of such importance for steam vessels and the reason for Kirkwood to come on this trip), was of little value.
46 Now Matawai Stream [-36.798942, 175.536761].
47 Noted by Hochstetter on Heaphy (1857): opposite the branch of the Matawai Stream with the Waiau River.
48 Location marked on map Heaphy (1857).
49 Now Whangarahi Stream [-36.761166, 175.495133].
50 The Auckland Provincial Government covered the cost of purchasing a tin dish and spade as part of the geological survey. See invoice dated 6 June 1859 from Auckland hardware merchant James Thomas Boylan (1818–1911) for a spade at 5 shillings and a prospecting dish at 3 shillings and 6 pence (Auckland Museum 1860).
51 Charles Ring (1822–1906), was born in Guernsey and spent some time in Tasmania before arriving in Wellington in 1841. Together with his brother Fred he joined the Californian gold rush returning to Auckland in 1852, before going to Coromandel in search of gold. Although the reward was not paid for his gold discovery, Ring was involved in mining and milling operations before returning to Auckland in 1875, where he died on 24 March 1906 (Scholefield 1940 [vol 2]: 244). Ring’s sawmill, next to Kapanga Stream, is marked on Heaphy’s 1857 map (annotated by Hochstetter with the word “Mühle” = Mill) and on Heaphy’s 1869 map. The mill is considered to have been close to Ring’s 1852 house, (2365 Rings Road, Heritage NZ Category II) [-36.74363 175.501528].
52 The advertised reward was in fact only for £100. See Gold Committee advertisement in newspapers of the period, for example: “£100 Reward”, Daily Southern Cross, vol. 7, issue 484, 17 February 1852, page 1.
53 Gold Reward Fund Committee was established in 1852. See Gold Reward Fund: Committee Minute Book, 1852–1853 (Alexander Turnbull Library, MS-Papers-1203).
54 Charles Ring discovered gold-bearing quartz on what is now called Driving Creek (a tributary of the Kapanga / Whangarahi Stream) and other Coromandel locations in 1852. Site of first discovery is marked on Heaphy’s 1857 and 1869 maps.
55 For a detailed review and report on the history and development of the goldfields and role and contribution of Māori, see Hauraki Report (Wai 686), especially Part III Gold and Timber, pp. 249ff (Waitangi Tribunal 2006).
56 Based on Fig. 23 this was near or at Coolahan’s dry diggings in the upper reaches of Whangarahi (Kapanga) Stream, just north of Ring’s Mill.
57 Hochstetter later also wrote about the question of the origins of Coromandel gold under the heading ‘Das Coromandel-Goldfeld’ [The Coromandel Goldfield] (Hochstetter 1864: 24–27). However, Hochstetter was mistaken in his assertion that the “primary argillaceous slates (greywackes)” were the host rocks. In the Kapanga Mine, Coromandel for example the host rock was the Tertiary andesites.
58 Location of Preece’s Farm on McQuoid Road, marked on map (Heaphy 1857) [-36.77533, 175.513115].
59 Marked on Heaphy’s 1857 and 1869 maps just north of Ring’s Mill on the Kapanga Stream as “Coolahan’s diggings” (ca. -36.74026175.502472). Hugh Coolahan (1800–1872), a native of Strabane, Ireland, was a successful Auckland baker and businessman (later Thames also). He was also on the “Reward Committee”.
60 This is an abbreviated form of reference to Awaawaroa Bay.
61 Hochstetter collected geological specimens on all his Auckland Province field trips. Duplicates were given to the Auckland Museum in 1859 but these were rendered useless or lost within a few years (Grenfell 2023).
62 The decorations featured a display of maps, artwork, and photographs by Hochstetter, Heaphy, Augustus Koch and Bruno Hamel (New Zealander 23 July 1859; 27 July 1859).
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