▁Ng ā ti ▁Mah uta ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁occupied ▁it ▁around ▁ 1 7 0 0 , ▁after ▁which ▁Ng ati ▁R au ka wa ▁conquer ed ▁it , ▁or ▁it ▁may ▁have ▁belonged ▁to ▁Ng ā ti ▁R uru ▁and ▁been ▁taken ▁back ▁by ▁Ng ā ti ▁M ā hang a . ▁It ▁was ▁reported ▁as ▁abandoned ▁about ▁ 1 8 3 0 , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁mus ket ▁wars . ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁invasion ▁of ▁the ▁Wa ik ato ▁it ▁was ▁conf isc ated . ▁ ▁The ▁land ▁was ▁acquired ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁by ▁Colonel ▁de ▁Qu in cy , ▁who ▁named ▁it ▁“ West on ▁Le a ” ▁after ▁his ▁grand m other ’ s ▁English ▁home , ▁near ▁Bath . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁Fitz roy ▁Pe ac ock e , ▁a ▁son ▁of ▁Captain ▁Pe ac ock e , ▁bought ▁the ▁land ▁from ▁the ▁Colonel , ▁who ▁was ▁step - father ▁of ▁his ▁wife , ▁Florence ▁Henri etta . ▁However , ▁they ▁didn ' t ▁move ▁there ▁until ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁and ▁the ▁farm ▁was ▁for ▁sale ▁ 3 ▁years ▁later . ▁Their ▁son , ▁Eg erton ▁Pe ac ock e , ▁took ▁on ▁the ▁farm ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 ▁and ▁cleared ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁bush ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁da iry ▁farm . ▁His ▁brother ▁No el , ▁an ▁architect , ▁designed ▁a ▁new ▁hom est ead , ▁built ▁in ▁ 1