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Two groups dedicated to conserving Mangawhai’s heritage have made a ceremonious pact to build a permanent house for the Daring.
Mangawhai Museum and Historical Society and the Mangawhai Daring Trust signed a Project Agreement on January 28 to build the Daring Discovery Centre. The ceremony was held outside the 19th-century schooner’s temporary shelter, where the vessel has been housed since returning to Mangawhai in May 2021.
The proposed new building, which will cost an estimated $2.8 million, will be constructed at the rear of the museum, creating a direct internal link to the ship, with tickets for the exhibit available from the front desk. All going well, the project aims to be ‘shovel-ready’ by the end of May this year.
The ambitious venture is led by the Daring’s Joint Steering Committee (JSC), and chair Peter Wethey welcomed guests including Lorraine Street, widow of the late John Street, who was a major supporter and funder of the Daring, Mangawhai Museum board trustees, Daring trustees, and Kaipara District
Council Mayor Craig Jepson, chief executive Jason Marris and elected members.
Wethey acknowledged the dedicated work of the DSC crew in getting the new build underway, from architectural design and the project agreement to starting on the next phases, fundraising and consents.
“It’s quite a momentous occasion,” he said. “It’s taken a long time to get to this position and certainly, members have worked really hard to get it in this final format.”
Daring Trust supporter Richard Te Haara opened the ceremony with a translated karakia “so we can all understand and feel the essence and love that we have for this matriarch schooner”, calling for unity in belief, trust and perseverance “joining as one so we can succeed”.
“It’s an emotional time because for all those years our lady had been missing, to come home after 150 odd years was a very special thing,” he said. “I thanked Tāwhirimātea, the god of the winds, who blew the sand off her for the Daring people to bring her to safety and Tangaroa, the god of the sea, who nurtured her over all those years.”
Constructed of kauri and pohutukawa in Mangawhai in 1863, the schooner is believed to be the lone survivor of her kind and comes under the protection of Heritage New Zealand. Lost for 153 years on Muriwai’s wild west coast, after being deliberately beached by the captain and crew after she became caught in a heavy south-westerly gale, the Daring resurfaced near the entrance of the Kaipara Harbour in May 2018.
Daring Trust chair Jim Wintle introduced and acknowledged members for their ongoing care and work on the vessel over the last four years. He believes the new exhibit will become one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Mangawhai.
Mangawhai Museum board chair Jill Corkin recognised her team of representatives on the steering committee, Colin Leach, Howard Johnston and museum manager Angela Cook, as well as Peter Wethey for steering the group through what was a much longer process than anticipated.
“I also want to say a big thank you to the Daring Trust for your willingness to work with the museum to make this happen and for bringing the ship here. It is going to be a major asset for the museum and we are grateful for the partnership. I also want to acknowledge Jim Wintle. The Daring has been a passion for Jim and so has the museum which wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for him,” she said.
Mayor Craig Jepson said council was proud to support the Mangawhai Daring Trust. He also announced plans to help raise funds through his personal venture, The Liniment Club, by holding a fundraising dinner with a notable guest speaker.
“The Daring is a significant project, not just for Mangawhai, but for all of Kaipara and New Zealand. It is an outstanding piece of our maritime and boatbuilding history, and it is great to see the huge amount of love and care afforded to preserving it by the trust. I am excited to see this project take its next steps,” he said.
“The big task now is to build excitement about the ship and raise money to keep this project going. I think we can do that as a community.”
