Best. — Old Redoubts, <£-c., of the Wellington District. 17 



In the New Zealand Journal of the 10th October, 1846, giving Wellington 

 news up to the 27th May, is the following : " An address has been issued by 

 Major Richmond stating that, in the event of any alarm, two guns will be 

 fired. The guns at Thorndon Fort have been put in order and placed in 

 charge of a gunner from Her Majesty's ship ' Calliope.' The carriages of 

 the two guns at the head of the bay will also, by direction of Captain 

 Stanley, be repaired by the carpenters of the ' Calliope,' and the guns will 

 be rendered fit for service." 



Colonel Mundy, who was in Wellington in 1847, wrote : " On the plain 

 of Thorndon is an old field-work called Clifford's Stockade, mounting a few 

 guns .... and intended as a place of refuge in case of an attack. 

 With a little repair and deepening of the ditch this trifling earthen fortalice 

 might be made quite efficient against a coup de main ; and, by a very simple 

 contrivance, which may perhaps have never occurred to an engineer, or 

 other defender of a fortified post, might be rendered impregnable against 

 bare-footed savages — namely, by throwing into the ditch all the broken 

 bottles which, in a short period, have been so lavishly emptied by the 

 Company's colonists ! " 



The above writer has another entry, as follows : " January 18. Inspec- 

 tion of the 65th Regiment on Thorndon Flat, an excellent parade-ground, 

 like an English village green. It is pleasant to see the truly British appear- 

 ance of the troops of this country — no pale faces, no dried-up frames. 

 Here was a corps 900 strong, including detachments, so increased indi- 

 vidually in bulk and healthiness of aspect since I saw them a year ago at 

 Sydney, after a long voyage from England, that it was difficult to believe 

 them the same body of men." 



Te Aro Fort. 

 In Mr. Brees' illustration showing the old Wesleyan Chapel in Manners 

 Street appears a part of the earthworks of the redoubt at Te Aro, which 

 was situated on the north side of Manners Street, opposite the above chapel. 

 Brees remarks, " The house occupied by the late Mr. Brewer is on the 

 right of the road, and the large trench and mound which were formed 

 immediately after the Wairau massacre, for inclosing certain spots as places 

 of refuge in case of Wellington being attacked bv the natives." The 

 illustration shows a bullock team and dray proceeding along Manners Street. 



Barracks. 



In the New Zealand Journal of the 15th January, 1848, giving Wellington 

 news up to the 14th August, 1847. appears a short item from the Welling- 

 ton Independent, as follows : " The mechanics and artisans employed in 

 the erection of the new barracks lately completed at Mount Cook were 

 on Monday evening regaled with a substantial supper by the contractor, 

 Mr. Mills. The evening was very pleasantly spent. We have much pleasure 

 in noticing this event, because the buildings have given great satisfaction, 

 and reflect credit upon all engaged in their construction." 



The Thorndon Barracks were situated on the eastern side of the old 

 Queen's Head Hotel, where Fitzherbert Terrace now is. They have long 

 disappeared, but two of the four cottages built for the officers at the junction 

 of Park Street and Grant Road, eastern side of Park Street, are still standing. 

 The wood-trails on the hillside above Park Street, where the soldiers used 

 to throw the wood down, are also still in existence. 



The Thorndon Barracks witnessed a lively scene during the visit of the 

 Duke of Edinburgh to Wellington in 1869, when a party of Maori per- 

 formed a war-dance on the flat. They were armed with Enfields that were 

 kept in store there 



