In the dead of night, sometime in 1983/1984, two trainee radio technicians crept out of the staff hostel at the Himatangi Radio transmitting station and out into the darkness. Making their way to the main road they carefully (but not very quietly) removed the AA sign pointing towards the government communications station- stopping only to dive into the bushes every time a car drove past. Their mission complete, they snuck into the hostel and carefully hid the sign.

This AA sign remained a carefully guarded secret until 2016. The station had long gone- satellite communications led to it being obsolete and it was closed down in 1993, but a control panel and other equipment survived at the MAVtech Museum in Foxton. It now hangs from the ceiling and points the way to the radio exhibit. 

How many other road signs succumbed to pranks and hijinks in the decades the station operated? Nobody knows for sure- but given the stories we hear it probably wasn't just the one!

From 1953 to 1993 the Himatangi Radio Transmitting Station was one of our links to the outside world. Before it opened we could only radio as far as Australia and relied on Sydney technicians to patch us through to other locations. The opening of the Himatangi Station changed all that.

For much of it's life the station was a 24/7 operation with married staff living nearby in Post Office housing and single men living in hostels onsite. This duty logbook covers much of the 1980s and was the record of who was operating the station each shift. It is pictured with part of the station's control panel. By the 1980s much of the station was automated and the Warkworth Satellite Station (opened in 1971) had eclipsed Himatangi in importance. But keeping the station on air was still a big job. 

Parts of Himatangi's control panel and transmitters can be seen at the MAVtech Museum in Foxton's Coronation Hall. 

This is a page from the last log book of the Himatangi Transmitting Station. The station started it's career in 1953 with an early highlight being the transmission of the Queen's Christmas Message during her 1953 New Zealand tour. By 1993 satellite stations were replacing radio as the main means of international communication and the station shut down only a few weeks after these entries were made.

The station was government run and transmitted messages via radio- another station in Wellington acted as the receiver. Before undersea cables and satellites, these radio stations were our main link with the outside world.

Attack submarine motors were used as backup generators in the 1960s to ensure Himatangi never ran out of power. 

A control panel from the station, and many historical documents, can be viewed at the MAVtech Museum in Foxton's Coronation Hall.

Society members in home of Lita Chrystall, Himatangi, December 1990

Colour photograph.

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

Society members in Lita Chrystall’s garden, Himatangi, December 1990

Colour photograph.

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

Thursday April 9th

Court sat at 10am

Present: Thos H Smith - Judge

W. B. White and J. Rogan - Judges

Same Assessors

Himatangi - continued -

Mr Fox stated that he should now call Ngati Raukawa witnesses.

Horomona Toremi - Sworn

Otaki - Te Patutukituki, Ngatiraukawa and Ngati Whakane -

I was with Nepia Taratoa - ws with him at his death and was left by him in charge of his eldest son - has a document to this effect - came here with a 'heke' of Ngati Raukawa - the east 'heke; between I and 2 years after Whatanui's 'heke;

I don't know anything of Whatanui's 'heke' - the land had been taken by Rauparaha.

I came down the Rangitikei to Te Awamate - there were 200 men of my 'heke' - Moko Moko Chief of Ngati Apa was there and Te Ata and Tutahi - we crossed to Pukepuke where we found Te Rua, Chief of Ngatiapa and Tuawhea and Peketau (Ratana's father) with his wife - we came on to Ohau (Ngatiapa received us hospitably and gave us eels and fern root) - came on to Otaki - we found the first 'heke' of Ngatiraukawa there at the mouth of Otaki and tangi with them - then the expedition to Kaiapohia - my 'heke' remained here to collect flax and cultivated here that year - at a place called Taranaki (3 acres) near Katihikie.

Aperahama Te Ruru and Parakaia cultivated - I came across to Te Roto Whakahokiri to my fathers cultivation (Haerewharara the brother of my mother).

I went to Huritini to collect flax - went to Okaka at Ohau and to Te Rata which belonged to Ihakara's 'tupuna' Iaikapurua - I returned to Otaki - then the 'heke' of Ngatiruanui, Taranaki and Ngatiawa came to Ohau there were about 1000 men of them - they came on here and 'Ka patu e Ngatiraukawa'

Tawake a Ngatiwawa Chief was killed - this was the Haowhenua business - when the Ngatiwawa of Waikanae (the 1600) heard that this 'pito' of them had been 'patued' they came from Waikanae and built the Haowhenua 'pa' - Ngatiraukawa fought and 2 Ngatiruanui's were taken to the 'pa' and 3 of the Waikanae 1600 - Ngati Tu wharetoa - Te Heu heu - Waikato - Ngati [Marui - undecipherable] Whanganui Te Reanuku (Tohi's brother) Ngati Whakane.

We were there one year - we had been surrounded by the enemy when his sucessor arrived and saved us - there was a fight between these allies and Ngati awa at Te Horowhuo. Tupe o tu and Te Hau te Horo fell - Ngatiawa came back to Haowhenua, a fight ensued and Papaka of Te Wharetoa and Te Hika of Ngati Whakane fell. We then went on to Waikanae and on our return came along close to Haowhenua 'pa' Ngati Awa and Ngati Toa (Kataha a Ngati Ta=oa) sallied out and killed some.

Rauparaha was with Ngatiraukawa. Rangihaeata was with the Ngati Toa who sided with Ngati Awa.

After this the allies returned and then we left our 'pa' - we ran to Ohau and stopped there - we were afraid of Ngati Awa - 'Ka Pakaru' the 'Kohainga'.We remained at Ohau - Ihakara and his 'tupuna' Tai Kapurua went to Manawatu - Te Hiko and Chiefs of Ngati Toa then followed Rauparaha in canoes and brought him back again.

At Ohau Rauparaha embarked to go to Kapiti. Rauparaha Te Whatanui - kiharoa Te Puke, Te Matia and Ngakuku of my 'hapu'.

My tribes remained at Ohau, Nepia Kuruho Aperahama Huruhu - (Ngati Parewaka waha). and (Patutukituki) Haerewharara, Honerite and I - then we went to Rangitikei.

We went 'ki te whakahoa i a ngatiapa' - we were not invited but went of our own accord - don't know about Hakeke inviting us - we went there after Haowhenua and made friends after we got there - there were 60 men who went - some joined us on the road on the other side of Manawatu - Kingi Aho aho was one - we went up and found Ngatiapa at Te Ana - - 40 of them - (Names Chiefs of Ngati Apa there) - Ngati Tupataua a 'hapu Rangatira' of Ngati Apa - lived together with Ngati Apa - Hunia's tale about our going to Matahiwi and Waituna to Hakeke's 'pa' is correct -

We left Waituna and came to Te Ana and built a 'pa' on the other side of Rangitikei - built it with Ngati Apa - we had become one tribe and lived together - after 2 years stay there Kawana Paipai's father Tawhito came - came to ask us to avenge some Ngati Apa Chiefs killed at Waitotara - We went and Kiatanui at Waitotara was taken - I took a Chief of Ngati Apa Takanirangi and let him go - Tapa's brother also shot a Whanganui.

We returned to Te Ana and Whanganui attacked Ngati Papa at Whangaehu and killed Whainga Piking as 'tua kaua' in payment for those who had been killed of their tribe - Turangapito sent for my father to go with the 'tawa toto' and to bury Whainga who had been left to lie where she was killed - went and at Whangaehu were surprised in the night by Whanganui - a 'pononga' of mine (Turingonge) was taken and we bolted into the river Ngati Raukawa and Ngati Apa - I and Turangapito held them - Whanganui rushed on us and captured Haerewharara's brother and carried him off gun and all --- this was about 4am.

I rallied our party and killed Takarangi and Whanganui bolted and left him. We returned to Te Ana and then crossed Rangitikei being afraid of Wanganui, Tapa's father Te Wata Heino Kanga and Pukerimu Ngati Kauhata Chiefs - came to see us and Ngati Tuputaua 'hapu' of Ngati Apa pointed out land for us to occupy.Rangitane up Rangitikei - Tomo Kauga was also a place were we were allowed to go to get 'Kakariki' and Te puta Te Rake hou.

We had a 'Waerenga' at Te Koeka near Rakehou - Hakaraia Pouri (NgatiApa) Te Rongo (Ngati Raukawa and Manihera aki (NgatiApa) Te NgaWha (NgatiApa) - after a time left... [the rest of this transcript is in part 2]