Captain John Agar Love

Captain John Agar Love, master of the trading ship Adventure, and his first mate Richard (Dicky) Barrett arrived off Ngamotu (later New Plymouth) from Sydney, in February, 1828. They quickly formed good relationships with local hapu and iwi, and set up a trading post.

Both men married women from prominent Te Atiawa families. Love married Mereruru Te Hikanui from Ngati Te Whiti hapu. The couple had two sons and one daughter. Barrett married Wakaiwa or Rawinia, also of Ngati Te Whiti.

In 1832 Love and Barrett took over the whaling station established by John Guard at Te Awaiti in the Marlborough Sounds. It is said that they retained more permanent whalers than many other stations around New Zealand.

Jacky Love died in October, 1839, aged 45. Hundreds of people attended his tangi and Te Atiawa buried him at Te Awaiti.

His grave was marked with the prow of a waka (canoe) an honour usually reserved for rangatira (chiefs). It was adorned with stripes of red and white ochre, and edged with a fringe of feathers.

Surveyor JW Barnicoat, visiting the site in 1843, was simply told the grave was that of an important Maori chief.

Hakirau Street is named after Love, also known as Jacky and Hakirau (the name which was given to him by Te Atiawa iwi).