22 Napier Street, Aparima, Southland
There are not many places in New Zealand where you can see a building which was constructed before the Treaty of Waitangi. This is one of them. The first Pakeha resident of Riverton/Aparima was a Captain Howell and this is his cottage.
He arrived here after a whaling career begun in Australia at the tender age of 12, having run away from his home in Eastbourne, Sussex, England. Sent here by his boss, a Mr Jones from Wakouaiti upon his whaler, the Eliza, Howell settled amongst Ngati Mamoe here at Aparima. His wife was Kohikohi, and this is also the name given to the cottage, standing now where it was built, in the middle of the dowry land gifted to Howell, which later became the town of Riverton. The rest of his story is rich and interesting, involving a second wife, 19 children, politics, and land, and the unfortunate introduction of rabbits to the area. The cottage is a Category One Heritage site.
Image Credit: Schwede66
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