New Zealand - Mamaku - The frontier settlement of Mamaku - a cold, bleak place surrounded by burnt and ravaged forest. Ingeborg and Hans must have been devastated by its harsh realities. #600165 Epitaph II Introduction - THE TWENTY-ONE STORIES contained in this book are a selection from the second and third series of the television programme 'Epitaph'. The research for these stories was made available to a number of different writers each with a keen interest in history and this book is the result of their endeavour. - Since 'Epitaph' first began, I have had the pleasure of investigating 65 fascinating New Zealand stories. Stories that have attracted my attention because someone's death has been marked in such a way as to say to future generations: "Look here. See what happened here.' For the most part the stories in this volume have caught my eye because key words on headstones have prompted me to ask questions like: Why was Dennis Gunn 'sadly wronged'? Was Hannah King Letheridge really 'the first white woman born in New Zealand? Who was the 'circus baby'? Is 'The Princess Torquil of Denmark, Baroness MacCorquodale of Loch Tromley, Chieftainess of the Clan MacCorquodale' really all she says she is? What happened to William Hall and John Coulthard, who met a tragic end at this spot'? - Some of the stories, however, reflect the fact that many of the messages left for posterity are not so blatant. At first glance 'in their death they were not divided', the epitaph of Joseph and Emma Jones, gives no hint of a double murder until you notice they have the same date of death and begin to wonder why. It is not uncommon to come across old headstones with six or more barely legible names that all have the same date of death. You cannot help but wonder what happened to such a family. Was it disease, fire, accident, murder or war that wiped them out? - Sometimes the grave itself is significant, such as the tomb of Dr Salaman in New Plymouth, a mini Taj Mahal that clearly reflects the larger than life qualities of its occupant. Of course, a gravestone that seeps the blood of a murder victim contained within, such as that of Margaret Burke was reputed to do, just has to be investigated. As do the mysterious stone tablets that lie at the low water mark in the Kaipara Harbour. Who put them there and what do they mean? - In other cases the location of the grave is its most striking feature. A signpost deep within the Tangarakau Gorge will direct you along a bush track to the isolated grave of Joshua Morgan. A little investigation as to how he ended up there provides a valuable insight into the difficult and dangerous life of the early surveyors. Although it has not been the subject of an 'Epitaph' story, I recently received a photo of another surveyor's grave and it must surely qualify as the 'wettest grave' in New Zealand. It is situated beneath a waterfall in an isolated part of Fiordland, and when it is not being sprayed by mist from the waterfall it is subject to the 700-plus centimetres of rain that falls annually in the region. - A few stories have been included which did not come to my attention through any connection with a grave at all. They nevertheless have what I consider to be a form of epitaph. The beer bottle that waits for Ted d'Auvergne is without doubt a memorial to him and has even been officially recognised as such by the RSA. A less official memorial, but just as poignant, is the oak tree that grew from an acorn planted by Margaret May Smith when she was a young girl. The tree that still stands today represents the life of which she was robbed after eating poisoned chocolates. - Travelling around New Zealand with the 'Epitaph' film crew has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Wherever we go the positive feedback about the programme is always a great incentive to continue trying to do justice to stories that for many are still sensitive. I am constantly surprised by the openness and generosity of the many people who have opened up their family closets and let loose some of the skeletons that have been rattling around in them, in some cases for over a century. I have especially enjoyed visiting those small, struggling towns in New Zealand that once had more glorious days and where links to the past are still strong through families that go back many generations, often to the first years of colonisation. Some of the stories from that early period of New Zealand's history have led to me being welcomed onto marae seeking a Maori perspective. Without exception these have always been memorable occasions. - Many people have commented that one consequence of telling the stories behind strange and interesting epitaphs is that we also end up conveying something of New Zealand's social history. I would like to think that was true. Certainly, our stories are mostly about ordinary people whose lives and deaths in some little way reflect what it was like to be part of the great, broiling melting pot that was nineteenth and early twentieth century New Zealand. - Paul Gittins Author: Paul Gittins ISBN: 1869414330 Click the link provided at the top to purchase the book through the MAD on New Zealand Shop - Supporting New Zealand Authors and Artists