By John O'Hare

A writing slate with a link to one of New Zealand’s earliest schools is one of several found beneath the floorboards of Kerikeri Mission Station’s Kemp House in 2000, and likely dates back to the early 1830s. 

Two of the slates made headlines as exceptional examples of early use of written te reo Māori – the first signed "Nga Rongo Hongi a[ged] 16" and the second with an early waiata whakautu (a song in reply) etched on it.

Now it’s the third slate’s turn for some of the limelight.

“It’s probably fair to say that the third slate has been a little bit overshadowed by the other two which were hugely significant finds at the time – so much so that they were added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Aotearoa New Zealand Register in 2018,” says Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Collections Advisor Belinda Maingay. 

“Although it doesn’t have nearly the same amount of provenance or information recorded on it, our third slate is still important. It includes one written element that we’d really like to learn more about – a name, ‘Na Kapu’, etched on the bottom corner.” 

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga is asking anybody who might have any information from whakapapa or other sources who might be able to provide additional information as to who ‘Kapu’ was. 

“We know that the small missionary school at the back of Kemp House was operated by Charlotte Kemp and Martha Clarke, and that the girls who attended classes tended to be high-born daughters of rangatira,” says Belinda. 

“We’d be very interested to find out more about Kapu’s identity and any information about her life after she left the school.” 

Anyone with information about Kapu can contact Belinda at bmaingay@heritage.org.nz.

Find out more about Kerikeri Mission station, including everything you need to know to visit, at Visit Heritage.