Speculation on Foxton cenotaph’s history
There has been much interest in the Foxton Cenotaph at the northern end of Main Street.
What has been said and claimed has been of interest, especially to one who has been involved with Foxton’s past history for many years. On this topic much is known for certain about what has happened from 1866 onwards but before that, much is speculation. The big question is what was there before?
We know the marae (Te Awahou) of Ihakara Tukumaru’s Ngati Ngarongo people was in the vicinity and that their urupa was nearby. (This is now known as Ihakara Gardens).
In 1848 Rev. James Duncan re-established his mission at Te Awahou and had a dwelling (also “nearby”). There is a map written by surveyor J. Stewart after his initial “pace and compass” of the district but accurate locations cannot be deducted from this. There was a chapel erected by Ihakara and his people, probably on the present Memorial Hall site. On Stewart’s map he locates a school and chapel to the north of Ihakara Gardens. This seems to be a contradiction but my take on this is that when the chapel built by the Maori was destroyed (probably about 1856) Duncan moved his service into the school at which he was the teacher. The school was built north of the urupa (Ihakara Gardens). Now this is an assumption and like many “facts” being quoted recently, it is up to the reader to decide if they wish to believe it.
By 1866 the map of Foxton was properly surveyed and the area where the Cenotaph is located is part of the roadway. The tramway/ railway was also along there. It is certainly well away from the original urupu area. A series of photos was taken by the firm of Harding Denton from the urupu in 1878. They clearly show that by then at least, there was a definite boundary between the urupu and the present day road. The chance of burials having been made on the cenotaph site is, to me, nil.
A public meeting in November 1919 made the decision as to the site and form of the Fallen Soldiers Memorial. A cenotaph and the Triangle Reserve were chosen and that is what we have today and surely for a long time more.