Hickman Road (Urenui)

Hickman Road in Urenui was named after Thomas Hickman, known as “the smallest policeman in New Zealand”.

Born in France to British parents on 13 January 1848, the diminutive Hickman immigrated to New Zealand on a ship called the Wild Duck in 1867. He worked as a clerk in the capital before volunteering for the Wellington Rangers as a bugler the following year. Part of the Colonial Defence Force during the New Zealand Wars, the Rangers took Thomas to South Taranaki where he was involved in the first attack on Te Ngutu o te Manu under the colourful Prussian Gustavus von Tempsky. Thomas then joined the Armed Constabulary and saw service around the region. As sergeant in charge at Urenui, he was responsible for everything from reviving drowned children to taking mail to the Waitara post office.

Hickman was involved in the invasion of Parihaka in 1881 but went on to earn the trust and respect of local Māori for his fairness when he was appointed the government’s “one policeman” in the community. They nicknamed him Mr Tommy, and Hickman’s ability to speak te reo meant he came to be seen as a race relations expert in the area. Despite Hickman arresting him at one point, Parihaka leader Te Whiti gifted the policeman a special carved stick which apparently allowed him to speak on the marae, an unusual honour for a Pākehā.

Becoming a member of the New Zealand Police Force when it was established in 1886, Thomas was stationed at Pungarehu for 11 years before being transferred to Opunake where he also acted as clerk of the Magistrate’s Court, Inspector of Factories and Shops and Inspector of Weights and Measures. He retired from policing in 1911. In his spare time, Thomas was involved with the local Freemasons, the Caledonian Society and the School Committee.

Thomas Job Hickman married Martha Golding, daughter of the local prison warden, in New Plymouth in 1876 and they had 11 children. He died at his home on Lemon Street in New Plymouth on 4 September 1930 at the age of 82 and is buried at Te Hēnui cemetery.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.