Waihopai Runaka
“Patahi” kaumatua 1215 and 1144
Captain Robert Brown came from Australia as the Captain of the whaling ship “Glory” while he was here he married a Maori Princess called Te wharerimu, from the Ngai Tahu tribe. When she was married to Brown she was baptised and called Martha Te Wharerimu. She was born at Ruapuke Island, which is in Stewart Island. When they married they moved to Codfish Island and lived there, and Captain Robert Brown is in the history books as the founder of that island. They had five children all born on Codfish Island and Captain Brown was drowned at sea about 1844, his wife Martha is buried with her son Thomas at the Riverton Cemetery.
Pictured above Patahi (Mrs Edwin Palmer)