There have been many historians and authors interested in the New Zealand Wars of the last century,\u00a0 and of the books which have been produced many contain references to the Smith family of the Papakura Valley and to their farmhouse home,\u00a0 which they named The Travellers\u2019 Rest. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n It was later to become well known as an inn,\u00a0 particularly during the New Zealand War period 1863-64.<\/p>\n Benjamin and Martha Smith of Wairoa South,\u00a0 now Ardmore,\u00a0 offered hospitality to many of the well-known people of the time.\u00a0 Bishop Selwyn and Governor Grey were frequent visitors,\u00a0 as were the Rev. Lush, General Cameron,\u00a0 Major William Jackson,\u00a0 Gustavus von Tempsky,\u00a0 Major (later Colonel) William Lyon and Major Gilbert Mair,\u00a0 to name a few.\u00a0 The idea of a corps of Forest Rangers was fully discussed across their dining table,\u00a0 and for a time The Travellers\u2019 Rest was headquarters for the Rangers after the corps was finally formed.\u00a0 Their second and third sons,\u00a0 Peter and Ezra\u00a0 Smith,\u00a0 were early recruits to the Forest Rangers,\u00a0 and each received the New Zealand War Medal for service under action.\u00a0 Peter Smith was for some months guide to Major von Tempsky on patrols through the Hunua Ranges.<\/p>\n Of visitors to the inn,\u00a0 the Reverend Vicesimus Lush and Major von Tempsky each kept a Journal.\u00a0 Among books and papers mentioning the Smith family are:<\/p>\n G.F. von Tempsky.\u00a0 \u2018Memorandum of the New Zealand Campaign in 1863 and 1864\u2019.\u00a0 Wellington,\u00a0 Alexander Turnbull Library.\u00a0 MS.<\/p>\n The Auckland Journals of Vicesimus Lush<\/i>,\u00a0 1850 \u2013 63.\u00a0 Edited by Alison Drummond,\u00a0 Christchurch:\u00a0 Pegasus,\u00a0 1971.<\/p>\n Jean Bartlett.\u00a0 The Emigrants, <\/i>\u00a0Auckland:\u00a0 Jean Bartlett,\u00a0 1974.<\/p>\n James Cowan.\u00a0 The New Zealanders:\u00a0 A History of the Maori Campaigns and the Pioneering Period. <\/i>Vol 1.\u00a0 Wellington:\u00a0 Government Printer,\u00a0 1922 – 3.<\/p>\n John Featon.\u00a0 The Waikato War<\/i>,\u00a0 1863-4.\u00a0 Auckland:\u00a0 Wickham,\u00a0 1879.<\/p>\n J.C. Andersen and G.C. Petersen.\u00a0 The Mair Family.\u00a0 <\/i>Wellington:\u00a0 Reed,\u00a0 1956.<\/p>\n A.E. Tonson.\u00a0 Old Manukau<\/i>.\u00a0 Auckland:\u00a0 Tonson Publishing House,\u00a0 1966.<\/p>\n C.W. Vennell.\u00a0 The Brown Frontier:\u00a0 New Zealand Historical Stories and Studies<\/i>,\u00a0 1806 \u2013 1877.\u00a0 Wellington: Reed,\u00a0 1967.<\/p>\n W.T. Parnham.\u00a0 Von Tempsky, Adventurer:\u00a0 A Biography of Major Gustavus Ferdinand von Tempsky,\u00a0 1828 \u2013 68<\/i>.\u00a0 London :\u00a0 Hodder and Stoughton,\u00a0 1969.<\/p>\n J.C.\u00a0 Auckland Star<\/i>.\u00a0 \u201cDangerous Days\u201d printed 9 March 1935.<\/p>\n I hope that the many descendants of Ben and Martha find enjoyment in reading about their forbears,\u00a0 and that all readers are helped to look back with pride to the achievements of thousands of other couples whose names are now lost to us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Introduction There have been many historians and authors interested in the New Zealand Wars of the last century,\u00a0 and of the books which have been produced many contain references to the Smith family of the Papakura Valley and to their farmhouse home,\u00a0 which they named The Travellers\u2019 Rest. It was later to become well known […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bensmith.falkor.gen.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/68"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bensmith.falkor.gen.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bensmith.falkor.gen.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bensmith.falkor.gen.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bensmith.falkor.gen.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=68"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bensmith.falkor.gen.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/68\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69,"href":"https:\/\/bensmith.falkor.gen.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/68\/revisions\/69"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bensmith.falkor.gen.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=68"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}