AKANIHI HIMIONA c1844 - 1909 (Agnes Flora Simeon (nee McAlpin(e))
Written by Simon George. Akanihi Himiona (Agnes Simeon) was born in 1844 near the present day town of Te Awamutu in the Waikato. She was christened Agnes Flora McAlpin(e), her mother being Rawinia Te Rangikawawe and her father James McAlpin(e). Amongst her people she was known by her tribal ancestral name, Kurakitoro. Akanihi's mother may have been taken by Waikato raiders. It is believed that James McAlpin(e) came to New Zealand in 1841. After arrival he lived amongst the Maori in the Waikato in the years ending 1842-1848, trading pigs, flax and medical supplies and may have left New Zealand in the 1849 goldrush in California. Akanihi was of Taranaki-tuturu having whakapapa connections to many hapu of that iwi. Her grandfather was Tarakete of the Nga Mahanga hapu and he was a great grandson of the Nga Mahanga chief, Rangimohuta, father of Raumahora who famously married Takarangi of Te Atiawa bringing peace between the two iwi. Tarakete was referred to as a noted tohunga in Akanihi’s obituary. Her grandmother was Waikauri of the Ngati Haumia hapu. Despite having no father present funding was provided as Akanihi was educated at the Rev. John Morgan's school for 'half-caste' Maori children at Te Awamutu. Her mother, of high birth, married a second time to Hakopa Ngaruhe and Akanihi's two younger half-brothers were born - Ruhe (Tuari) and Te Mira Wharepouri Hakopa. There are living descendants today from Ruhe (Tuari) Hakopa. By the late 1850s her education completed and land wars looking imminent in the Waikato, Akanihi along with many others was brought back to Taranaki. From 1860-1865 she lived and cultivated with her people in Taranaki learning her family traditions. She was for a time clerk of the stores at Hangaatahua (Stony River) near present day Okato. Having married Frederick Simeon, a young army volunteer from Melbourne, Australia, in Wanganui in 1866 and after spending time there and then in Napier, Akanihi and Frederick settled in Wellington in 1872. Akanihi is recorded as being "the only remaining woman to come from Taranaki who still resided in Te Aro pa" as of the mid to late 1870s.
1|Page
She was related to many of the Te Aro elders such as Mohi Ngaponga, Te Teira Whatakore, Hori Ngapaka, Te Munu Ohiro and probably Hemi Parai. She was also related to Ngāti Mahanga elders Taiawhio, Ruakere Moeahu and Mohi Tukirikau. Through the Taranaki iwi side she was related to Te Whiti o Rongomai, Tohu Kakahi, Wiremu Kingi Matakatea and Wi Tako Ngatata Akanihi and family spent some years in the 1880s until the 1890s living on ancestral lands back in Taranaki - near Warea and Opunake. During the period 1893 to 1895 they owned and ran the Rahotu hotel and store. Although not followers of Te Whiti and Tohu, Akanihi and Frederick became prominent at the time of detention without trial and the appalling treatment of Parihaka resistors. After a refusal by the editor to print the prisoners’ stories in his letters’ column, Akanihi and Frederick paid advertising rates to relay to the nation information gained directly from prisoners returning on the boats after having served their prison terms in Dunedin. Akanihi gave evidence in several Maori Land Court cases either representing herself or the interests of others. She also wrote a number of letters to newspapers about the loss of Māori land in Taranaki and the slowness of the governments of the day to live up to Native land compensation court findings of the mid 1860s. About 1896 the Simeons returned to Wellington for good. They lived at Johnsonville as Akanihi had an interest in Section 8, Block 11 of the Wiremutaone Reserve. Akanihi succeeded to the land interests of Te Teira Whatakore and Hori Ngapaka in the Wellington area and was awarded interests in several land blocks in Taranaki. At the time of her death her land holdings included parts of Ohiro Rural Section no. 19 subdivision no.8 ; Ohiro Rural Section no.21 in the Wellington area, and about 1000 acres of land in Taranaki near Oakura, Warea, Rahotu and Opunake. By the time Akanihi died, on 25 August 1909, she had gifted a section to each of her 10 (living) children in the Johnsonville land:
Rawinia Wilcher Miriama Moore Henrietta Flegeltaub Mohi Ngaponga Himiona Te Ngahue Ada Saunders Hemi Himiona Te Teira Whatakore Himiona Whitianga Akanihi Himiona (later Ellison) Marama-i-te-rangi Ell Waikauri Ross (later Hynes)
Many descendants from these children live all over the world today. Akanihi and her sons were buried in the Simeon plot in the Sydney Street Cemetery1
1
Ngā Tupuna o Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Vol.3. 2005. P. 53-4.
2|Page
WI KINGI TE AWHITU Wi Kingi Te Awhitu belonged to Ngati Haumia of Taranaki iwi. His parents were Piko and Tuturaumaiawa. His wife was Pirihira Matangi who died on the 1 September 1897. They had three children: Ani Te Kai (? – 1865), Te Waka Houtipu (? – 1882) and Hana Te Awhitu (1833-1925).
After the death of Wi Kingi Te Awhitu, Pirihira Matangi married Hemi Parai and two sons, Te Awhi Parai and Mohi Parai were born about 1859. About 1856 Ani Te Kai married Captain Charles Blewitt of the 65th Regiment. Two children died young but a third child, Ani Waaka Blewitt (1860-1908), survived. 2 CHARLES BLEWITT – father of Ani Waaka
ATL: Ref: 1/4-003832-G
Born 14 December 1825 ; died at Kensington 1907.
Lieutenant, 22 December 1848-14 October 1851, Captain, 1 May 1855 Major, 7 January 1869 Lt Colonel, 12 February 1873. Major General in the 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment
Charles Blewitt served in
2
Ngā Tupuna o te Whanganui-a-Tara. Vol. 2. 2003. P. 19.
3|Page
New Zealand
6 March 1854– 22 April 1862 October 1863 to October 1865
The 65th Regiment was known as the 2nd Yorkshire North Riding Regiment. Charles Blewitt was at Tuhikaramea camp 26 January 1864, in skirmishes at Rangiaowahia on 2 February 1864 and commanding no. 1 Company at Rangiaowhia on 21 March 1864. He was at Orakau 31 March to 2 April 1864 and also at the Wanganui attack and capture of Pa at Meriora 1865.
ANI WAAKA BLEWITT as told by her granddaughter: June Fredricson: Ani Waaka was born 22 July 1860, moved to Pohangina in 1879 and died at Willis Street, Wellington on 19 July 1908. She married Leonard James Durling. Ani Waaka and James are both buried at St Johns Church, Johnsonville. They had seven children: (six girls and one boy):
Ani Waaka Blewitt
Leonard James Durling
CHILDREN OF ANI WAAKA AND LEONARD JAMES DURLING:
LETITIA ANN [Kenny] Born 115 November 1880 at Waituna. Died 13.5.1970, age 99 years.
Married Edward Kenny 15 January 1908. Five children - two of whom were Māori All Blacks.
WILLIAM LESLIE DURLING Born 17 November 1882 at Rangitikei. Died 26 September 1944. Married Lilas Isabel Connor 1906 who died at Johsonville on 11 November 1918.
GERTRUDE WINIFRED [TOWNHILL] Born 22 July 1884 in Rangitikei. Died 3 June 1955 at Johnsonville, age 70 years. Married Jack Townhill, 22 July 1909. They had four children. 4|Page
ISOBEL EDITH [MILLAR] Born 10 April 1886 at Pohangina. Died Pamerston North 19 January 1957, age 70 years. Married William Bruce Millar 24 July 1912 at Johnsonville. They had two children.
AMY ANNIE VIOLET [ELLS / FRANKS / HEARNE] Born 13 May 1889 at Pohangina. Died 14 November 1990. Married three times: - F Ells, - Franks, - Hearne
CONSTANCE PERIE [HOOPER] Born 17 March 1893 at Pohangina. Died 22 November 1974, Age 81 years. Married Douglas Hooper, 27 November 1912. They had four children.
FAITH MARGARETTE [FREDRICSON] Born 28 December 1901. Died 23 June 2003, at Johnsonville, age 101 years. Married Frank Fredricson who was born at Sydney – he died 1 September 1974, age 75 years. Their two children were Dawn (now deceased) and June.
ANI WAAKA was believed to have been a Māori princess. Her mother was Annie Te Kai also known as Ani Kauwe. Ani Waaka’s father was Charles Blewitt who fought in the Māori wars. After the death of Ani Te Kai, Ani Waaka was put into the care of Mrs Halcombe and taken to visit Lady Fox who lived at Westoe. She was sent to a girls’ school in Lower Hutt but later returned to Rangitikei where she met and married James Durling who came to New Zealand 1874 as an assisted immigrant under the Manchester Block Settlement Scheme. Ani Waaka lived in Pohangina Valley, Ashhurst. She was 19 years when she married Leonard James Durling (age 25), on 12 August 1819 at Bulls. [After their house was destroyed in a fire, the family returned to live on Ani Waaka’s land at Johnsonville]. She died 31 years before James, leaving him with six daughters and one son. There were 34 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. Each of Ani Waaka and James’ children became an owner in a one-acre block of land at Johnsonville Faith – mother of June Fredricson, was the youngest and her two daughters were Dawn (deceased) and (June). I (June) am still living on my share of the property and as long as I live it will never be sold-there is too much history involved. LEONARD JAMES DURLING Mr Durling was a well-known resident of Johnsonville – he was born in Kent and died at Wellington Hospital on 13 March 1939. He came to New Zealand on a sailing ship “Wennington” and landed, with a halfpenny in his pocket, at Petone Beach on 25 May 1874. The trip was very rough. He walked from Petone up the beachline to Wanganui, picking up driftwood (as he went) with which to build a wooden shack.
In later life he served on the Johnsonville Town Board. A monthly meeting of the Johnsonville Town Board was held on a Tuesday morning. All members were present, Mr Manson was in the chair. Mr Durling was apppointed Inspector of Nuisance and for the whole of the district. A general rate of
5|Page
three farthings in the pound was struck on all rateable properties. For lamplighting, Mr W. J. Brown was accepted at 3 pound 15 shillings a month.
6|Page