thomas brunner was born in april 1821. thomas was from a family of colonists so he had adventure in...
TRANSCRIPT
THOMAS BRUNNER
Thomas Brunner was born in April 1821. Thomas was fro
m
a family of colonists so he had adventure in his blood. He
was an upper class English-man who worked for an Oxford
architect and surveyor. He was employed as an assistant
by the New Zealand Company.
When they arrived in Nelson there was a shortage of land
for grazing and growing crops. This made Thomas
undertake three intrepid journeys between 1846 and
1848.
“We shall not cease from
exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started... and know the place for the first time.”
T. S. Eliot
1843 - In late winter Thomas explored the top of the Motueka
River. But he had to leave the testing of Maori stories (of the
grassy plains between Rotoiti and the West Coast) for a later
expedition. 1846 February – Charles Heaphy with Brunner and Fox with a
Maori guide Kehu, they resumed the search for an accessible
grazing ground in Nelson. The heavily laden party reached
Rototi and went on to Buller (Its southern course the
Howard) and over the ridge to Rotorua. They crossed to
Tiraumea (Mangles) and travelled down the Buller to below
the junction of the Matakitki and the Matiri.
1846 1st March – They returned.
TIMELINE OF THOMAS
BRUNNER’S FIRST JOURNEY
1846 22nd March – Heaphy and Brunner set out again, this
time by the coast to find the mouth of the Buller. With the
faithful Kehu they crossed the isthmus from Golden Bay to
the West Wanganui and, travelling steadily south.
1846 30st April – They camped by the Kawatiri and decided
that this was the Buller which sprang from the lakes.
1846 21st May - They continued on to reach the Mawhera
(Grey) 26th May – Then the Taramakau.
27th May – Arahura was their furthest point south. The local
Maoris gave them much important information including
details of the greenstone route over the Alps, but could not
be induced to accompany them.
1846 Late August - The heavy return journey past flooded
rivers bluffs and hampering tides brought the party back to
Nelson by the same route.
TIMELINE OF THOMAS
BRUNNER’S SECOND
JOURNEY
TIMELINE OF THOMAS BRUNNER’S THIRD JOURNEY
1846 11th December – Brunner set out on his third
expedition for the year with Kehu and his friend
Pikewate, both of whom were accompanied by their
wives. Dillon and Stafford’s run on the Motueka was
their last contact with civilisation, Fraser, the
manager, accompanying them to Rototi. Brunner
explored Rotoroa in more detail.
1847 February – in the Murchison-Matakitaki area.
Below here the Buller offered only weeks of hunger
and danger in its gorges, with the added risk of
crossing tributary streams between rain-sodden hills.
Progress was painfully slow through bad weather
difficult travelling, and halts to allow the Maoris to
snare birds. So desperate was their situation at one
stage that Brunner consented to kill his dog for food.
1847 4th June – They reached the deserted pa at the
river mouth. Continuing south they were at Mawhera
and nine days later arrived at the Taramakau. Here, to
Brunner’s disappointment, the Maoris insisted on remaining for the winter as there were no supplies of
food further south. 1847 12th October – Eventually in company with four
local Maoris, he set out to explore the coastline. 1847 15th October – They crossed the mouth of the
Hokitika. 1847 22nd October – and Okarito 1847 19th November – While passing Titihaia Head
(Titiera), and encumbered as usual with a heavy pack,
Brunner slipped on the rocks, crushing his foot and
twisting his ankle. He managed to return to Paringa
where he rested. Brunner managed to return to Paringa
where he rested.
TIMELINE OF THOMAS
BRUNNER’S THIRD
JOURNEY
1847 11th December - He reluctantly decided to
return. The party reached the Mawhera on
Christmas Day, and until the end of January, the
time was passed in small journeys south to
Hokitika, Lake Kaniere and elsewhere.
1848 26th January - Thomas and his four Maoris
set off to the Mawhera as part of a small Nagai
Tahu journey of four canoes. Six miles upstream
he sighted a coal seam and kept going up the
tributary stream.
1848 7th March - Four days later Brunner was
certain he could see the plains of port cooper
from a hill. – Buller junction,
TIMELINE OF THOMAS BRUNNER’S THIRD
JOURNEY
1848 23rd of March – They were at the Inangahua
– Buller junction, Thomas having linked by exploration the Buller and grey systems.
1848 15th April - Brunner found that he had lost
the use of his leg and was horrified to hear pike
water urging Kehu to leave him. Pikewate and his
wife departed but the faithful Kehu remained to
help Brunner during the week he lay cripple.
1848 26th March - He was still limping badly when
they reached Maruia. 1848 15th June-They pushed on steadily to reach
Fraser’s. 1874 April – Thomas Brunner died in Nelson.
TIMELINE OF THOMAS
BRUNNER’S THIRD
JOURNEY
Explorer of the Century
I think Thomas Brunner deserves this award as he travelled from Nelson to Grey mouth without giving up. That is Resilience. He achieved his goal in life because he never gave up.
Thomas Brunner’s Family
I could not find any information on Thomas Brunner’s relatives except a picture of his wife and his coat of arms.
Bibliography
http://thinkexist.com/quotation/we_shall_not_cease_from_exploration_and_the_end/144335.html
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/brunner-thomas/1
http://www.houseofnames.com/brunner-coat-of-arms
R. D. Lading
“Creative people who can't help but explore other mental
territories are at greater risk, just as someone who climbs a mountain is more at risk than
someone who just walks along a village lane.”
By Claire Hofman