A deeper story of place

We share this history with deep respect to the whenua of Whāingaroa and mana whenua who share their home with tauiwi.

A lot of work has been done in the last few years through Ngā hapu ō Whāingaroa and reasonable consensus of the history of this place has been made.

Ngā mihi to Ngā hapu ō Whāingaroa for your mahi and those that put together the Whāingaroa Harbour plan from which this history was sourced.

1100s Maori arrived in Whaingaroa

The Reverend James Wallis established a mission station at Te Horea

1839 The Mission moved to Nihinihi

Reverand Wallis made a pre-treaty land purchase

Representatives of Ngati Mahanga and Ngati Hourua led by Te Awaitaia (Wiremu Nera) sold approximately 8,000 acres around the present-day site of Raglan to the Crown for £400, which became known as the Whaingaroa purchase. Four areas were reserved for Maori: Te Mata, Takapaunui, Ohiapopoko and Te Uku.

1850s settlers began to arrive. Maori management of harbour and resources still strong

1855 Representatives of Tainui led by Kereopa and Wetini Mahikai sold what was believed to be 12,000 acres at Karioi for £575. Initially payment of £50 each had been made to Kereopa and Wetini respectively but only for what Tainui believe to be Te Hutewai (a stream located on Karioi) and not Karioi itself. At the Nga Korero Tuku Iho hui held at Raglan (April 2010) Heather Thompson and Angeline Ngahina Greensill both claimed that many of those who had signed the Karioi deed were children, and that three of the signatories were captives from Taranaki. This raises a question as to how carefully Crown officials inquired into the ownership of the land around Karioi. An area believed to be 600 acres (that would later turn out to be 1,413 acres) was reserved for Maori groups: Te Whaanga, Te Kopua, Papahua and Rakaunui. Te Whaanga was known for many years as the Karioi Native Reserve and through it Tainui would maintain a strong direct whenua-based connection with Karioi Mountain.

1863 Invasion of Waikato by British Troops. Protection of settlers and Maori from Te Awaitaia and Ngati Mahanga

1866 Death of Te Awaitaia the management of the Harbour began to be progressively taken over by Europeans living in Raglan. Despite Ngati Mahanga’s neutrality during the war, their lands were confiscated along with all other Maori land in the confiscation area in the eastern parts of Whaingaroa harbour. As the land was alienated through sales and confiscation, so the Maori authority to manage the harbour was also lost.