Best. — Old Redoubts, dec, of the Wellington District. 21 



of the old Half-way House. It stood on the spur just above the road-line 

 at the corner and rock-cut formerly known as " Pyebald's Corner," " Byass's 

 Corner," and " Gibraltar Corner." This post was built and occupied by 

 men of the 58th Regiment. Each of these stockades from Johnsonville to 

 the Ferry (or Jackson's Ferry), just north of the Porirua Railway-station, 

 was named after the officer in charge of the post. 



McCoy's Stockade. 



Named after Lieutenant F. R. McCoy, of the 65th Regiment. It was 

 situated on Section 36, on the eastern side of the main road, about where the 

 house of the late Mr. James Taylor stands, on the left bank of the Kenepuru 

 Stream, just below its junction with the Takapu Creek. 



Leigh's Stockade. 



Also known as ' ; Fort Leigh." Named after Lieutenant C. E. Leigh, 

 99th Regiment. It was situated on the west side of the road, about where 

 the northern boundary-line of Section 41 cuts the road. The short road 

 extending past the school is a part of the road-line as originally surveyed. 



Elliott's Stockade. 



Also known as " Fort Elliott." The original stockade stood on the 

 flat on the left bank of the Kenepuru Stream, about 7 or 8 chains south of 

 the hotel (now closed) near Porirua Railway-station. Late in 1846 flood- 

 waters overflowed this flat and rendered the post untenable, destroying 4,000 

 rounds of ball cartridge. A new stockade was built on the bluff or low 

 hill on the western side of the road. Section 62 — a much better site. 



In October, 1846, two officers and twenty-four men of the 58th Regiment 

 and two non-commissioned officers and thirty-four men of the 99th Regiment 

 were stationed here under Captain A. H. Russell (father of the late Sir 

 William Russell, and grandfather of the present General Russell who served 

 in the Great War) and Ensign F. Middleton. 



Paremata Redoubt. 



This post consisted of a stone blockhouse (or barrack, as it was usually 

 called) surrounded by a stockade. It was situated at Paremata proper, at 

 Porirua Harbour. The name of " Paremata " applies properly only to the 

 flat north of the railway-bridge ; the railway folk are to blame for having 

 transferred the name to the railway-station across the water. The station 

 should have been named " Whitianga " or " Horopaki," both names of 

 places within a few chains of the station. The remains of this stone 

 blockhouse at Paremata are still to be seen at Paremata Point, west of the 

 railway-line (Plate II, fig. 1), and it was here, at the narrow channel between 

 the outer bay and the inner arm, that the first ferry was established at 

 Thorns' whaling-station. 



In Collinson's report on the Wellington Military District (published in 

 the papers of the Corps of Royal Engineers, 1855) appears the following : 

 " On April 8 [1846] 220 men under Major Last were sent round to. Porirua, 

 and, after lying a week under Mana Island from stress of weather, they 

 landed and pitched their tents on Paremata Point." The Wellington 

 Independent of the 15th April, 1846, mentions this movement. On landing 

 at the point tents were erected, and a large whare near Thorns' whaline- 

 station was also occupied. Men were set to work to form a trench and 



