The Insider's Guide to New Zealand
FIRTH TOWER
The tale of Josiah Clifton Firth and his Matamata legacy is a little contentious and aspects are open to interpretation. Sticking to facts, Josiah Firth, businessman, father of 12 and eventual politician, began leasing land from Wiremu Tāmihana in 1865. Statesman Tāmihana was known as ‘Kingmaker' or peacemaker for his efforts in tribal relations and developing a Māori government system via the Kingite movement. When Tāmihana died a year later, Firth claimed ownership of 56,000 acres of land for the sum of £12,000, and began conversion of the flat, fern-covered land into crops (wheat for his Auckland flour mill) and mixed farming.
Firth left the Waikato in 1887. His business ventures floundered or folded, and in 1889 he was declared bankrupt. However, while the land was divided into 117 farms and sold,
Firth's legacy remains in the form of Firth Tower and surrounding estate. Now a popular museum, motorhome park and wedding venue, Firth Tower is the protector of local history.
The 16m-high Firth Tower was built in 1882 and refurbished in 1978. It was one of the first reinforced concrete structures in the country, and was built as a lookout and potential war shelter. The tower sits beside the English-style homestead, which, like many of its time, burnt to the ground in 1879. The estate also houses relocated historic buildings from throughout the region, including the old Matamata Methodist Church, the Ōkoroire Post Office, Gordon School and Karangahake Jail. All are open for exploration, and have extensive displays about the region and its history. Farmers and lovers of machinery will disappear into the collection of sheds for hours, so leave plenty of time to explore.