STREET NAMES: THE HISTORICAL BOROUGH OF PONSONBY AND GREY LYNN
Pompallier Terrace Jean Baptiste Pompallier was born in France in 1801. He received an education befitting a gentleman and for a short time served as an officer in the dragoons or infantry who rode horses instead of marching, but a higher call drew him to the church so he entered the Lyons seminary in 1825, was ordained in 1829, and served for seven years in the archdiocese before being consecrated titular bishop in 1836. He was chosen by Pope Gregory XVI to head a mission in Western Oceania so with four priests and three brothers of the Society of Mary, Pompallier sailed from Le Havre in 1836. Two missionaries disembarked on two Pacific Islands, one priest died of fever on the voyage so with one remaining priest and one brother he reached the Hokianga in 1838 where some Catholic families lived. Kororareka, now named Russell, was to be his headquarters for the next 30 years and the house he built there still stands today. Captain Hobson invited him to attend the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi from which he absented himself but gained an assurance from Hobson that there would be religious freedom in the colony. There was some opposition to Pompallier’s arrival because settlers feared French annexation but his courage and dignity impressed many Maori leaders, which helped him overcome European suspicions. Those few early missionaries encountered language difficulties as none of the three were conversant with either Maori or English but Pompallier was quick to master both. Over six feet tall he was an imposing figure and his personal charm endeared him to Irish catholics in the area. Jean-Claude Colin, founder of the Society of Mary, later called the Marist Brothers, gave generous aid to Pompallier enabling him to establish mission stations in several North Island settlements, where he walked long distances overland to visit them. While setting up these missions Pompallier made four voyages down the east coasts of both islands reaching Otago where again he explored the hinterland. There were unfounded allegations that French missionaries were encouraging insurgency among Maori chiefs in Northland but Governor Grey investigated these claims and completely cleared Pompallier and his priests of any such subversion. Unfortunately Pompallier was an inept administrator and overreached himself financially. On his mandatory visit to Rome in 1846 it was obvious to church authorities that it was time for him to end his association with the Marists and that the missions were to be divided with into two dioceses, one in Auckland with Pompallier in charge and another in Wellington staffed by the Brothers. Pompallier was absent from New Zealand for four years as he travelled extensively throughout Europe gathering funds and personnel for his new diocese. He finally arrived back with two priests, 10 seminarians and eight Irish Sisters of Mercy. In his absence the Catholic population in the Auckland region had doubled, but the Maori missions in the North had collapsed because of the Northern war and the antipathy it generated towards Europeans. On his return Pompallier finished training his clergy and after their ordination they were sent to the missions vacated by the Marists. He remained in Auckland where the Catholic Church made steady progress due to the strong united team he formed with the Sisters of Mercy. He sailed again to Europe in 1859 and returned with eight Fransiscans eight seminarians and four French women intended for his new order, the Sisters of the Holy Family. Though a british citizen since 1850, he stayed neutral during the 1860s wars but had to watch helplessly as Maori Catholics drifted away.
PROJECT GLOW WEAR COMES TO AUCKLAND Creatives across the country have five weeks to get their designs to Wellington to be judged in the second annual Project Glow Wear, the reflective design competition all about illuminating people on bike and foot. This year the competition has a twist, as Auckland Transport has joined Wellington sponsors and will host a runway show in Auckland. The competition challenges designers and creatives to take every-day clothing and make it avant garde. All entries must include reflective elements that highlight the wearer as they ride their bikes on their evening and early morning journeys. Manager of Walking, Cycling and Road Safety for Auckland Transport, Kathryn King, says, “We have so much going on up here in Auckland building new spaces around the city for people on bikes, and it feels like the perfect time to bring the event here.” Aucklander Carol Green entered last year and is already busily working on this year’s entry. “I’m all about riding a bike in normal clothes so last year I made some cool trousers with a thin, reflective stripe down the leg and tape on the bottoms to tighten and keep the cuffs off the oily chain, along with some pretty funky hi-vis reflective bunting for a bit of fun. I’m keeping this year’s vision under wraps for now and looking forward to being able to bike to the runway show this year.” A $10,000 prize pool is up for grabs across 13 categories and prizes include a $500 Levi’s voucher, internship at Mandatory Menswear, a Wacom tablet, a Singer sewing machine, shearing scissors, cash prizes and more. The pièce de résistance is the Arrow Award where the winning entry will be manufactured by the winning designer during a two-month paid internship. F PN www.projectglowwear.com
In Auckland he was more successful. His seminary produced some outstanding priests and the Sisters of Mercy formed a sort of colony on Mount St Mary in Ponsonby. But there were still financial problems. The Maori missions never paid back the money he had borrowed for them, government aid to his schools came to an end and the laity resented bearing the burden. He borrowed what little he could and mortgaged 45 acres of land owned by the diocese but the debt continued to climb and creditors wanted repayment. When he left for Europe in 1868 he realised the situation was very bad indeed and he knew he was too old and sick to deal with it. He resigned in 1869 and was made honorary archbishop of Amasia. Accusations and suspicions of misconduct without substance or proof clouded his last days in New Zealand but his only guilt was poor administration. Pompallier was a devout man with talent and vision who spent his life in the service of others. He died at Puteaux in 1871, the man who founded the Catholic Church in New Zealand. PN (DEIRDRE ROELANTS) F
90 PONSONBY NEWS+ June 2017
L to R: Arrow Award winning design by Kat Filer; Lux Luminance Award Award winning design by Fiona Pohlen PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)