Community Contributed
Karapu Pa, Horowhenua
Kete Horowhenua2020-03-23T16:57:19+00:00
The most northerly of the six artificial island-pa in Lake Horo-whenua.
Actually, karapu was more of the nature of a peninsula than an island being attached to the edge of a marginal swamp on the north-western shore of the lake.
Reasons are given elsewhere (Adkin, G. Leslie, 1948, Section 4 (e)) for the belief that Karapu was the earliest of the pa built in the waters of the lake by the Mua-upoko tribe.
It was, however, like the other lake-pa, in occupation up to the first quarter of [the 19th] century.
In 1896, Te Rangi-mairehau, of Mua-upoko, giving evidence before the Horowhenua commission stated that he was born at Karapu.
This photo taken by George Leslie Adkin about 1910 shows Karapu Island pa.
Levin township can be seen in the distance (left).