History of Camp Sladdin
Whenua and Mana Whenua
Clevedon, traditionally known as Te Wairoa, sits within a landscape of deep cultural, spiritual, and historical significance.This rohe has longbeen home to Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, one of the earliest iwi to inhabit Aotearoa. Their connection to the whenua is ancient and unbroken, held through whakapapa, kōrero tuku iho, and enduring taonga.
One of the most remarkable of these taonga is the 600-year-old human footprint preserved in volcanic ash on Motutapu Island, formed during the Rangitoto eruption. Motutapu remains a sacred island, rich in wāhi tapu and ancestral stories, and stands as powerful evidence of long-standing Māori presence in Tīkapa Moana.
The history of Te Wairoa begins with the arrival of the Tainui waka in the 1300s. As the waka travelled through Tīkapa Moana, rituals were performed to acknowledge and prepare for new lands. The waka anchored at Te Whakakaiwhara, where the crew gathered whara flowers for a feast, giving the place its name. Seeing the wide river mouth nearby, they named it Te Wairoa, recalling a place of the same name in Tahiti.
At Te Wairoa, a crew member named Tāne Whakatia planted a karaka seed, which grew into the sacred grove known as Te Huna a Tāne. This grove still stands today, a living marker of early settlement and connection to the land.
Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki lived in Te Wairoa and Te Whakakaiwhara for centuries, establishing pā sites, cultivating gardens, and developing long-term settlement patterns. The tidal passage Te Maraetai, meaning “the Marae of the Tides,” was named for its calm waters and sits today in front of the iwi’s present-day marae at Umupuia. While other iwi also have connections to the area, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki remain the mana whenua, with their narratives, place names, and whenua connections forming the cultural foundation of modern-day Clevedon.
Camp Sladdin acknowledges and respects this enduring relationship between Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki and the whenua on which the camp sits.
Scouting at Clevedon and the Legacy of Leonard Sladdin
Camp Sladdin is named in honour of Leonard P. Sladdin, a foundational figure in New Zealand Scouting and the person who established Scouting in Clevedon.
Leonard Sladdin joined the Scout Movement in 1925 and was a foundation member of the Havelock North Troop. He later moved to Auckland, where he became part of Kitchener Troop at Mt Eden and attended the first Gilwell leadership training course held in Auckland. In 1931, he was awarded his Wood Badge, signed by Lord Baden-Powell himself, placing him among the earliest Wood Badge holders in Aotearoa.
In 1937, Leonard Sladdin moved to Clevedon and founded the first Clevedon Scout Troop, beginning a legacy of youth development, outdoor learning, and service that continues today. His leadership spanned decades, and even during periods when he was away from Clevedon, his commitment to local Scouting never waned.
Over more than 50 years of service, Leonard Sladdin received the highest honours in New Zealand Scouting, including the Silver Tiki and later the Silver Tui, awarded in 1975 for services to the Scout Movement of the most exceptional character. His story and achievements are honoured within the camp itself, where a framed tribute stands as a reminder of the values he lived by.
Camp Sladdin Today
Officially opened as a Scout campsite in 1965, Camp Sladdin has served generations of young people, volunteers, schools, and community groups. It continues to be a place of learning, challenge, connection, and belonging, grounded in the principles of Scouting and respect for the whenua it occupies.
Camp Sladdin is more than a campsite. It is a place where ancient histories, community stories, and youth development meet. A place shaped by the land, by mana whenua, and by the many people who have gathered here to learn, grow, and explore together.