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Life in Early Poverty Bay

Founders of Empire

Founders of Empire.

James Mackey—one son was killed in the second Massacre—in the early days was pit-sawing for my grandfather at Rakukaka. He was fond of a joke and could tell many stories of the navy. He kept the ferry at Gisborne for many years and lived to a great age. The gaiety and lure of the city had no charms for those old chaps. Poverty Bay was good enough for them and you would get a dressing down if you said anything against the place. They took great exception to the changing of the name from “Turanga” to “Gisborne” and refused, for a long time, to say “Gisborne.' There were the founders of Poverty Bay. Their comrades murdered and homes burnt, and barely escaping with their own lives, within a few days or weeks they were back again with their wives and children. They helped to build the Empire and keep the old flag flying.