Raiha Waitohi Puaha Prosser

Raiha Waitohi Puaha Prosser was the second born child to Ria Waitohi and husband Ngāti Toa Chief Rawiri Puaha. She was born at Takapūwāhia on July 11th, 1854.

Ria Waitohi, was the daughter of the Paramount Chief Te Pehi of Ngāti Toa and Ātiawa through his mother Waipunahau of the Northern Taranaki tribes Ngāti Mutunga and Hinetuhi. Ria's mother was Te Pehi Kupe's second wife Te Purewa.

Te Purewa was the granddaughter of the senior Raukawa Chief Hukiki Te Ahukaramu. Ngāti Toa Chief Rawiri Puaha was the son of Te Matoe, a direct descendant of Manu and his mother was Hinekoto, the elder sister of Te Rauparaha.

Raiha and her older brother Te Oti Kerei Puaha (also known as Te Oti Rawiri Puaha) held a unique position being a descendant from the highest bloodlines of Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Raukawa. This bloodline was said to unify the tribes following the struggles between them namely at Haowhenua (1834) and Kuititanga (1839). As children they lived at Takapūwāhia Pa.

The land around Te Awarua o Porira had been resettled by the Te Maunu branch of Ngāti Toa under the Chief Te Hiko O Te Rangi.

The original pā being built around the old Ngāti Ira village of Te Urukahika (now Prosser Street). Te Hiko had gifted a large tract of land to his sister Ria Waitohi. Chief Rawiri Puaha had the first weatherboard house built in the Porirua area shortly before his death in 1858 and Raiha was around 5 years old when her father passed away.

She lived with her mother Ria between their homes at Takapūwāhia and Kukutauaki near Waikanae. Her brother Te Oti was sent away to Auckland under the stewardship of their Uncle Tamaihengia and the Pakeha land agent Donald McLean who their mother referred to as his Pakeha guardian. There Te Oti attended Three Kings College (Now Wesley College) Sadly Te Oti died as a young man.

During the 1860s, Porirua had become the horse racing capital of Wellington. Some official race days saw over a thousand punters and spectators from all over the lower North Island converge on Porirua harbour. At low tide the beach turned into a smooth semicircular racetrack and the Porirua Jockey Club provided all the conveniences for visitors.

It would have been during the mid to late 1860s that Raiha would meet a young rider named Joshua Henry Prosser. Joshua’s parents were Welsh Immigrants, Samuel and Caroline Prosser. Samuel began a coach service in Melbourne but sadly he died when Joshua was only 10 years old.

The older Prosser brothers, along with their Uncle, left Melbourne and joined the South Island gold rush in New Zealand. It is unclear whether or not they struck gold, or if they only made their money running pack horses and supplies to the remote mining towns, but soon the Prosser brothers were able to buy into a lucrative Wellington business, The White Horse Livery and Horse Depository on Lambton Quay. Before long they were able to send for their mother and younger siblings to join them in New Zealand.

The eldest brother John took over the Crown and Anchor Hotel on Lambton Quay and their brother Samuel built the Empire Hotel in Pauatahanui. They also began the Prossers Line of Royal Mail Coaches. These stagecoaches ran between the two hotels via Porirua. Joshua developed a love of horses both as a jockey and then as a renowned racehorse trainer. He began his racing career as a Jockey on Parumoana flats and won his first race on a horse called Pamau in 1866 when he was only 15 years old.

Raiha and Joshua were married in 1877 and renovated her fathers house at Takapūwāhia. The house became known as Mataiwhetu they wouold eventually build their farm and racing empire around it.

As colonization began to push iwi off their various settlements at Pukerua Bay and Plimmerton, they were invited to come and live in Porirua.

In 1889, Takapūwāhia pā was shifted a little North to its current location and the newcomers were given land to live on. The "abandoned pā" Urukahika block became part of the Prosser Farm. Josh Prosser became a highly successful racehorse owner and trainer. He was well known in Australia and New Zealand for his beach treatment and hill training on the western foothills then known as Prossers Bush. And of course for his champion race horses. Many wealthy landowners, business people, lawyers, politicians from around New Zealand sent their horses to Porirua to be trained by Josh. According to the Prosser family's detailed log, the Porirua Stables trained over 430 horses during their years of operations. The stables also turned out many successful trainers and jockeys, including the Telford brothers of Phar Lap fame. During Phar Laps' visit to New Zealand, it was rumored that the infamous racehorse spent several peaceful days in Porirua for the salt and sea treatment before going to Huey Telford’s stable at Trentham and then onto America to race.

Through the years Raiha suffered several miscarriages. Raiha travelled to Whanganui, to be blessed by Wiremu Tahupotiki Ratana and was advised to take rongoā so she could carry a child to full term.

Upon returning to Porirua and at the age of thirty-five, she gave birth to her only child Joshua David Prosser aka Rawiri Puaha Prosser, in 1889. Raiha made sure that her son had a solid pakeha education attending Wellington College and also St Patrick's College. But he was also raised in all things Mäori. He was an eloquent speaker of both English and Māori and was respected by both Mäori and Pakeha alike.

Rawiri represented on many tribal boards, māori committees and was a long serving Porirua Councillor and benefactor of Porirua School. On the farm, the family hired a cook, a housekeeper and around 30-40 farm hands, stable boys and jockeys depending on how many horses they had in work at the time. Each horse had his own strapper that tended their needs and travelled to racing engagements with them. They also kept cows and had a milking shed, as well as sheep and chickens. Many jobs were held by local Iwi members from the nearby Pā. Newspaper reporters said that the farm was always immaculately clean and tidy. The success of the farm and racing stables also meant a lot of money for the Prosser family. This meant Raiha was able to travel near and far to attend court hearings and meetings to support her people. She was also able to retain high-powered legal representation from lawyers such as A.L.D Fraser who was also a patron of the Prosser Stables.

Raiha was able to engage F.H.D Bell of Izzard & Bell to represent her own family land interests and those of Ngāti Toa.

In 1901, Raiha’s cousin Matenga Te Hiko, donated land for a maarae and Raiha donated the money to pay for the building of the original whare Tupuna, Toa Rangatira. The carving above the front window represented her father Rawiri Puaha.

Raiha always took care of her responsibilities as a wahine rangatira of Ngāti Toa, Atiawa and Raukawa. She spoke forcefully against the government's wish to take Kapiti Island. When asked how she felt about being paid 3 cents an acre. She replied... "I would not let them have it, even if they offered me £1 (per acre) it is a valued possession of our ancestors; and if the Government get hold of it, we would never see it again and my son would never be able to look upon the land and say, 'That's our Island that belonged to my ancestors”.

In 1905, Raiha appeared as a witness in the famous Royal Commission of Enquiry case Parata vs the Bishop of Wellington, where she patiently endured endless, repetitive questions but maintained her composure and insisted that a school should be built for Ngāti Toa children, or that the Whitireia land taken should be returned to Ngāti Toa. She also cultivated relationships with Europeans of note. In 1904 she left her home in Porirua with a horse and buggy at 4am, and travelled all the way to Wellington in torrential rain, in order to formally greet Huia Onslow who was arriving by ship.

Raiha had been present some thirteen years earlier when he had been adopted as an honorary chief of Ngāti Huia. He was the first vice regal baby born in New Zealand to the then Governor General Lord Onslow and his wife Countess Onslow.

At the Welcome in Otaki, she presented the boy with an exquisite walking stick carved out of ake ake wood and set with an engraved silver plate. He was spotted carrying the stick days later while visiting a museum. Raiha also attended many other events and tangi around New Zealand. It was during a tangi that Raiha contracted influenza and sadly died on the May 27th 1912, at the age of 58 years. Her tangi was one of the largest ever held at Takapūwāhia and was attended by Māori and Pakeha from Bluff, to the far North.

In her will, Raiha stipulated that her lands were to be passed down to her son and to any children that he might have naturally, by adoption or whangai. She also asked for the graves of her father, mother, uncle and brother be suitably marked with a memorial and maintained. Her Will states that they are buried in the urupā on Mataiwhetu Street.

Raiha’s son, David Prosser married Ethel May Eden the same year of his mother's death, regrettably they were unable to conceive a child. David had at this time inherited a lot of land from his mother and father and the need for an heir to carry on the Prosser Puaha name was clear. They chose to adopt the son of Ethel May’s niece Mrs Hana Rawiri Davis / Gray.

He was born 10th March 1926 but wasn't adopted until he was at the age of 7 years, named Roderick Eden Prosser, affectionately known as Roddy. Roderick was a direct descendant of Te Rauparaha and Ngāti Toa Chief Te Kanae, who was Rawiri Puaha’s brother. This connection was significant and made him blood related to both David Prosser and Ethel May Prosser. David Prosser built a large community hall (Prosser's Hall) on their land where Porirua and Kenepuru streams meet, near where New World supermarket is today.

There were many community dances, birthdays and receptions held at the hall. Prosser's Hall was taken by the government under the Public Works Act. The hall is still fondly remembered today for it’s community functions and as Porirua's first Picture Theatre.

Following the death of Joshua Prosser 16 September 1927, David inherited all of his mother’s lands as well as those bought by his father Josh. However, in the 1950’s and 60’s, the National Government using its monopolistic powers took all of his land under the Public Works Act. In 2008 a Research project commissioned by Ngati Toa, found that more than 410 acres of the 500 taken had belonged to David Prosser alone and included most of the Porirua CBD, Elsdon, and much of Takapuwahia. The historic old house Mataiwhetu and the famous Prosser Stables that once overlooked the Porirua harbour, were bulldozed and the Ashley Wallpaper Company built a factory on the site.

The beautiful Urukahika river that ran through their land was piped underground and the picturesque farmland bulldozed over to create the new housing subdivision and industrial area of Elsdon.

Roderick Eden Prosser's inheritance and Raiha Puaha Prosser's legacy and wishes were stolen away under the Public Works Act, leaving very little to be passed on. What land remained was taken from him in the 1960’s. Roderick married his beautiful Scottish bride Agnes Sutherland in Porirua. They had two children, Jean and David Prosser. They are also remembered with immense love and affection by their 2 grandchildren Emmasha and Samuel Prosser and 6 great grandchildren.

Let's not forget Raiha Puaha Prosser's story, our wahine Rangatira who fought tirelessly to unite her people and hold onto her rightful land. She understood early on, that the Crown had an insatiable lust for land and as the senior Iwi leader she had to play their game inside and outside of colonial courtrooms.

She also learned the value of key relationships and friendships with those in power, much like her father did before her.

Raiha wrote letters, spoke at hui, gave evidence in court cases and at Royal Commission’s. She also brought her own legal action against others such as the New Zealand Railway Company who laid train tracks across her land. Raiha fought tirelessly her entire life to unite her people and hold onto her land.

At her tangi these words were spoken by Sir James Carrol; "You have withstood the opprobrium hurled upon you. That came not from us, your Māori friends, but from our opponents. Why you had to bear this? It was because you boldly stood between them and us”.

Mrs Raiha Puaha Prosser deserves to be remembered without question with great affection by our people.