Ohinemutu- (brush with the NZ Mitchell clan)

Henry Mitchell's gravestone at Ohinemutu St Faiths Church and the 'Tai Mitchell' ceremonial bell housed nearby at the sacred Moari meeting house

example of intricate Moari carving on the side of the Te Arawa tribal meeting house

Back in Rotorua town we take a stroll down to Ohinemutu Moari village next to the lakeshore to view the Christian church which has Moari wooden carvings inside and the Te Arawa tribal meeting house. As we approach the church the caretaker comes over to us and starts explaining about the gravestones, pointing out the biggest one belonging to Henry Walker Mitchell. I tell him my maiden name's Mitchell and he's delighted by this because it turns out there were many Mitchells who lived in this area, in fact it was renowned as Mitchellville. He tells us Henry Mitchell was a crook though, because he took a lot of Moari land round the lakeshore as payment for surveying it! So, in actual fact, the Mitchell name is tarred out here. He had a big family who took over the township and many married local Moaris. He tells us his wife is one of the last generation of Mitchells and he's so proud to have found another of her namesake, we are taken to be introduced to her and their son, with whom I exchange email addresses so as to keep in touch. They've done a lot of historical research into the Mitchell family and they promise to send me a copy so as I can read it and show other Mitchells! (dad) He proceeds to give us an unofficial tour of the Moari site he maintains including his own house, which sits on the site, to show us his thermally heated outdoor bathroom and the wooden flagpole engraved in Moari and English used in procession when the Royal family visit, which he keeps in his garden shed! We get shown round the convention centre where he cooks hangi (traditional Moari meal) for hundreds of people whenever there's a special event (he steams most of the food using the boiling hot water from under the ground) including the official Royal visits. And the impressive Moari meeting house, normally closed to the public, which is intricately carved with totems lining its walls, interspersed with tortura reed weaves. We feel extremely privileged to have been shown round by him but I think he's enjoyed just as much telling us all his many stories about the history and his family, because he's found another Mitchell!