Short history of Joseph Bryers

Short         history           of      Joseph
Bryers

By: Judith Bryers Holloway
email: judithbryersholloway@gmail.com

Joseph Bryers (originally named Jean-Pierre-Joseph-
Alexander Bruyeres) and Kohu Whareumu married
(possibly with Maori rites, as the English
missionaries refused to officially marry any Maori
person who had not been baptised). There are no
records but we think they were married by Bishop
Pompallier in Russell in 1838.

They were both about 25. Joseph was of French origin
(his father had been one of Napoleon’s Cavalry

generals who died in battle at Reichenbach in 1813
when Joseph was still in the womb). Calling himself
by the English version of his name, Joseph came to
NZ first as a ‘sawyer’ (possibly to construct oil
barrels) on a whaling ship, via Mystic Bay on the
east coast of America. He met Kohu, the descendant
of several powerful and respected northern chiefs –
Te Whareumu, Kawhiti, and Mohi Tawhai. She had
previously been ‘married’ to two different ship’s
captains – Captain Robert Duke and Captain James
Norris (but both had wives back home). Joseph said
that he had to ‘fight for’ Kohu. Possibly he had to
fight James Norris as he adopted the child Kohu was
carrying at the time, naming him James Norris
Bryers.

Joseph inherited money when his mother (who had by
then married an English Baron) died in 1830 and he
built a house and general store and the Masonic
Hotel which still stands in Rawene.

Joseph and Kohu had a very happy marriage and
produced eight children, several of whom died young
from tuberculosis, the curse of early cross-
colonisation.

Joseph ran the store, the hotel (helped by Kohu and
several of the children, including John Bryers and
his son Robert and Robert’s wife Olive). He used his
schooner, the Kiwi, to transport kauri spars to
Botany Bay, and to shipbuilding businesses around
the NZ Coast. Tragically, the Kiwi went down, in a
sudden storm off the West Coast, near the Grey
River, in 1866. All twenty people on board were
lost, including three sons of Joseph and Kohu:
Joseph, Matthew and William.

Joseph is commemorated in one of NZ’s earliest
novels, ‘The Greenstone Door’, by William Satchell
(who was married to one of Joseph’s granddaughters,
Susan Bryers). In the novel, the character of
Purcell is based on Joseph. If he was anywhere near
as wonderful as Satchell paints him, he was

certainly a distinguished and courageous ancestor to
be proud of.

They had a very happy marriage and eight children,
some of whom died young, probably of tuberculosis,
are buried in the family grave in Rawene.

Joseph died in Rawene in 1885. I am not yet able to
find out when Kohu died.

The extended Bryers family lived in Rawene and in
other parts of the Hokianga until around 1920 when
the oldest surviving son, John, with his son Robert
and wife Olive, his three ‘maiden’ sisters (Fanny,
Helena and Adelaide) went south to buy and run a
similar hotel, called the ‘Waimarino’ in Raetihi, in
the King Country. Which is where I spent my happy
childhood.

But I still have a great reverence for the ancestors
of my earliest NZ roots in the Hokianga,
particularly Rawene.

Hokianga Health
                  OUR CONTACT NUMBERS

            For medical emergencies dial 111
               General Enquiries 405-7709
                  Appointments 405-7709
             Administration 405-7709 ext 800
             Health of Older Person 405-7730
                Hospital 405-7709 ext 801

CLINICS / GP CLINIC DAYS / NUMBERS
            BROADWOOD Tue 409-5813
             HOREKE Tue 401-9642
            KOHUKOHU Thu 405-5860
            MANGAMUKA Wed 401-8952
          OMAPERE Mon/Thur 405-8888
           PANGURU Mon/Wed 409-5321
            PAWARENGA Thu 409-5012
      RAWENE Mon to Fri 405-7709 ext 891
         TAHEKE Mon/Wed/Fri 401-4819
            WAIMAMAKU Tue 405-4870

WANTED: Restore the broken
grave of the Bryers Family –
Rawene Cemetery

Wanted
Someone in the Rawene area to restore the broken grave of the
           Bryers Family in the Rawene Cemetery.
I would like to speak with anyone who has the skills needed.
 I can be contacted on my email or by cellphone to discuss.
 I am also coming up to stay in Rawene for a few days from

                24th August to 1st September.

                  Judith Bryers Holloway
           email:judithbryersholloway@gmail.com
                            or
                    tel. 022-670-4389.

         My address is: 46 Parker Ave, Levin 5510.

Reminder of what Alert Level
2 means…

Reminder of what Alert Level
2 means…
New Zealand COVID-19 Alert Levels Summary
• The Alert Levels are determined by the Government and
specify the public health and social measures to be taken in
the fight against COVID-19. Further guidance is available on
the Covid19.govt.nz website.
• The measures may be updated based on new scientific
knowledge about COVID-19, information about the effectiveness
of control measures in New Zealand and overseas, or the
application of Alert Levels at different times (e.g. the
application may be different depending on if New Zealand is
moving down or up Alert Levels).
• Different parts of the country may be at different Alert
Levels. We can move up and down Alert Levels.
• Essential services including supermarkets, health services,
emergency services, utilities and goods transport will
continue to operate at any level. Employers in those sectors
must continue to meet health and safety obligations.
• Restrictions are cumulative (e.g. at Alert Level 4, all
restrictions from Alert Levels 1, 2 and 3 apply).

                                           Updated 5 June 2020

Level 2 – Reduce
The disease is contained, but the risk of community
transmission remains.

• Household transmission could be occurring.

• Single or isolated cluster outbreaks.

• People can reconnect with friends and family, and socialise
in groups of up to 100, go shopping, or travel domestically,
if following public health guidance.
• Keep physical distancing of two metres from people you don’t
know when out in public or in retail stores. Keep one metre
physical distancing in controlled environments like
workplaces, where practicable.
• No more than 100 people at gatherings, including weddings,
birthdays and funerals and tangihanga.
• Businesses can open to the public if following public health
guidance including physical distancing and record keeping.
Alternative ways of working are encouraged where possible.
• Hospitality businesses must keep groups of customers
separated, seated, and served by a single person. Maximum of
100 people at a time.
Sport and recreation activities are allowed, subject to
conditions on gatherings, record          keeping,   and   –   where
practical – physical distancing.
• Public venues such as museums, libraries and pools can open
if they comply with public health measures and ensure 1 metre
physical distancing and record keeping.
• Event facilities, including cinemas, stadiums, concert
venues and casinos can have more than 100 people at a time,
provided that there are no more than 100 in a defined space,
and the groups do not mix.
• Health and disability care services operate as normally as
possible.
• It is safe to send your children to schools, early learning
services and tertiary education. There will be appropriate
measures in place.
• People at higher-risk of severe illness from COVID-19 (e.g.
those with underlying medical conditions, especially if not
well-controlled, and seniors) are encouraged to take
additional precautions when leaving home. They may work, if
they agree with their employer that they can do so safely.

Source: COVID-19.govt.nz

$2.7m      for                                Hokianga
infrastructure
Hokianga will receive $2.7 million to redevelop four of its
wharves and upgrade its water supply, Regional Economic
Development Minister Shane Jones has announced.

Far North District Council will receive $1.8 million from the
Provincial Growth Fund for the work on the wharves.

“The work will include the construction of a new wharf and
pontoon at Rangi Point and new wharves at Te Karaka and
Mangungu, as well as a new pontoon being added to the existing
Motuti Wharf,” Shane Jones said.

“This will provide a safer and significant improvement to
maritime transport used by most of the communities and
visitors to the areas. This is particularly important in
Hokianga due to the region’s geographic isolation.

“Locals will be better connected to essential services and
their work via water transport if roads are not accessible.
This work will also result in lower maintenance costs over
time.

“Work on the projects will start immediately, with 16 jobs
created over the six to eight months of construction,” Shane
Jones said.

Whitiki ngā Punawai o Hokianga – The Hokianga Water Collective

will receive just over $995,000 to increase access to reliable
and resilient water supplies for seven communities across
Hokianga.

This project will provide water to 13 marae, three schools,
two kohanga reo, a health clinic and 384 households by
upgrading    ageing   water   storage   and  distribution
infrastructure.

“This funding is for stage one of the project which will
reinstate the dam and reticulation infrastructure at
Motukaraka. A total of 30 jobs will be created across the
community during construction,” Shane Jones said.

“An improved water supply will also be a starting point for
these communities to further develop over 1000ha of Māori-
owned land with the potential for sustainable development and
long-term job creation.

“The improved water resilience will also benefit local
commercial activities including Whare Taonga museum, existing
market gardens, and tourism operators,” Shane Jones said.

                   Source: Beehive.govt.nz

Pop-up stalls offer early
chance to influence 10-year
plan
A series of informal pop-up stalls around the region this
month offer the public an early chance to influence the shape
of the Northland Regional Council’s (NRC) Long Term Plan (LTP)
2021-2031.

Chair Penny Smart says the council is starting to develop its
plans for the next LTP now and the community pop-up events
offer people a great chance to have a chat to
councillors/staff about the things the NRC should be focussing
on.

“Like all councils, we have to work out what the priorities
are, what services we can deliver and, of course, how it’s all
paid for. Planning for the next three, 10 and even 30 years
is always a real balancing act, but that’s especially true in
these challenging times.”

Chair Smart says public input about the things most important
to them will help steer early development of the plan but
points out there will be another chance for feedback when
council formally consults on the plan in March/April next
year.

The first pop-up event was held in Kaikohe at the Far North
Business & Events Hub on Wednesday evening (subs: Weds Aug
05) with others still be held as below:

     Whangārei; Saturday 08 August (7am-10am), Whangārei
     Growers Market
     Waipu; Sunday 09 August (9am-1pm), Waipu Markets
     Kerikeri; Saturday 15 August (8am-1.30pm), Old Packhouse
     Market
     Paparoa; Saturday 15 August (9am-noon), Paparoa Village
     Market
     Whangārei; Saturday 22 August (7am-10am), Whangārei
     Growers Market
     Kaitaia; Saturday 22 August (8am-noon), Kaitaia Farmers
     Market

As well as the pop-up events, the council is also encouraging
online feedback via: www.nrc.govt.nz/futureplan

The council’s Strategy, Policy and Planning Manager Kyla
Carlier says the link offers people the chance to join an

online conversation and share the things that matter most to
them, as well as a ‘sign-up’ option to keep abreast of the
latest LTP developments.

“We’ve added some things we think are really important – you
can vote on these or add your own comments for others to see.”

Chair Smart says the council will be developing proposals for
the LTP over the coming months, ahead of formal consultation
early next year.

Public consultation will be held in March and April, with the
council expected to deliberate the plan and make decisions in
May before finalising and adopting the LTP in June.

                         Source: NRC

Work at               the        2020            General
Election
 Urgent request for helpers in the Hokianga and Kaikohe area.

The Electoral Commission is recruiting for roles in New
Zealand’s biggest community event – the 2020 General Election.

APPLY NOW TO WORK AT THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION

We’re looking for people to work before, on and after election
day across the country. There are a range of roles requiring
different skills for different lengths of time.

APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT
Please note that you will not be able to save your application
as you progress. The application should take about fifteen
minutes to complete.

You will need to provide:
– Your bank account and IRD details for payroll purposes. If
you are not successful, this information will not be held.
– Details of two referees, including a work referee if
possible.
– Previous relevant employment details if you did not work at
the last election.
– Previous experience working within your communities.

Please note that only Process Leader positions require you to
submit a curriculum vitae and covering letter, all other roles
do not require you to submit a curriculum vitae and covering
letter.

                       Source: Elections 2020

Position: Lead Researcher
Historian – Te Keri Kāpia –
28th Maori Battalion
Te Karanga a Ngā Kai Keri Kāpia – The Call of the Gum Diggers

Kā papā te whatitiri, hokohohiko te uira, kahukura ki te
rangi, tihei māuriora!

Me mihi ki te hunga kua ngaro ki tua whakarere ka tika, ē kua

waihotia mai ngā öhaki, hei akoranga mö tenei whakatupuranga,
arā, mö ngā uri kei te heke tonu mai.

Ki a tātou te hunga ora, me oke tonu tātou, kia ü, kia
manawaroa!

     Position: Lead Researcher Historian – Te Keri Kāpia

Ngā Uri o Kamupene ‘A’ o Rua Tekau Mā Waru – the Descendants
of ‘A’ Company 28 Maori Battalion Trust Board (The Trust
Board)

Tenure: Fixed term – 1 year

WHO WE ARE:

The Trust Board was formed in 2018 with the aim of researching
material for producing the Book on the history of A Company 28
NZ (Maori) Battalion. We have been involved in the collection
of information, Roll of Honour, Photos and other Taonga for Te
Rau Aroha – The Memorial House of the 28 Maori Battalion.

Much of this research will be useful for the writing of the
Book of a Company.

WHAT WE ARE DOING:

The Trust Board is working with support from Manatü Taonga,
the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, in partnership with the
Ngarimu VC & 28th Maori Battalion Scholarships Board and the
Ministry of Education, to produce this Book about A Company.

WE WANT YOU!

We are searching for a Lead Reasearcher Historian to co-
ordinate the search and writing of a major print history of A

Company of the 28th Maori Battalion of World War II. The book
is envisaged as a large-format and richly illustrated work of
80,000 – 1000,000 words, designed to appeal to a general
audience.

The Lead Researcher Historian will work under the direction of
a designated sub-committee that is under Nga Uri o Kamupene
‘A’ o Rua Tekau Ma Waru – the Descendants of ‘A’ Company 28
Maori Battalion Trust Board, with oversight of the Ministry to
plan and develop a project that complements and builds on
other related efforts, including;

     Nga Tama Toa – The Price of Citizenship, history of C
     Company published in 2008.
     Ake, ake kia kaha e – Forever Brave, history of B
     Company published in 2019.
     Te Rau Aroha – Te Whare Maumahara at Waitangi.
     www.28MaoriBattalion.org.nz website.

APPLICANTS:

Applicants must be passionate about the 28 NZ (Maori)
Battalion Soldiers and their whanau, have a proven track
record in Historical recearch and writing, coordinating tasks
and activities of paid and volunteer workers.

The candidate must have a proven ability to access Māori-
language sources and engage effectively with institutions, iwi
and whanau holding relevant historical resources. A whakapapa
connection to at least one of the iwi and/or hapu from which A
Company was drawn would be an advantage.

The position may be filled as Lead Researcher Historian
depending on the candidate’s experience, ability and
demonstrated passion about the kaupapa, You will preferably be
based in the A Company region, or some other location as
appropriate.

APPLICATIONS:

For enquiries about this position please contact any of the
following Trust Board members:

Virgina Warriner (Secretary) – 027 685 6446

Brain How (Chair – Research Trust Board) – 021 458 084

Te Tuhi Robust (Chair – Sub-committee) – 021 953 356

Apply for this position by submitting your CV and Covering
letter to the following email address:

virginia.warriner@wananga.ac.nz

Closing Date – 14th August 202, 5pm

Rawene Market
         Rawene Market this Saturday, 1 August 2020.
              Please support your local market.
D&A Hokianga will be selling some goodies on behalf off, from
    a house clearing. There are fabrics and other things.
  All must go and please bring cash or do a verifiable bank
                    transfer on the spot.
                        See you there.

PANGURU DOCTORS CLINIC
                 CHANGE OF CLINIC FOR THE DAY

          Due to a planned power outage in Panguru on
              Monday 3rd August 2020 from 9am-2pm

The PANGURU DOCTORS CLINIC will be held at the KOHUKOHU CLINIC
                          instead.

Community Health Nurse Terri Ngakuru and Kaimanaaki Tangata
Christopher Te Wake will be in the Panguru community during
                        the morning.

            Thank you for your understanding.