Native Settlements Reports




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fair share of good land, but it also has the additional advantage of being close to the new public road, and may now easily convey their wheat either by land or water to the mill at Porirua, in which the Natives of Wainui have a share. They have several stacks of wheat on hand only waiting for the completion of the mill at Porirua, to have it ground, so that the use of flour will soon become more general than it is now. At Wainui the Natives have commenced again to clean the flax, and is usually their evenings’ occupation. The old or present Wainui Pa is in a state of dilapidation, and unhealthy, but in the course of a few months, the Natives will probably remove to the new village which is more sheltered, and in every other respect more convenient. They have a Day School under the superintendence of one of the young chiefs, and apparently well conducted. Their cultivations are in good order, particularly the kumara, and the soil at the head of the valley is very rich, although the extent of land is very limited. Total Native population, 195.

19th Settlement.—“WHAREROA.”

“Whareroa,” distant about a mile and a-half from Wainui, is occupied by a division of the Ngatiwas under their principal chief Mitikakau. Although the Pa is small, it is one of the most compact, and in perhaps better order than any I have yet visited. Their cultivations which are some little distance inland are in excellent order, and they appear, on the whole, to be a very industrious little body of people. They have two weatherboarded barns, and several stacks of wheat unthreshed, and they also prepare a considerable quantity of flax for the European market. I was invited by the Natives to see the flax cleaned by a simple, but very convenient method, suggested entirely by themselves. The quantity of flax prepared in this manner they state to be much more, and the labour less fatiguing. It is, I believe, capable of improvement, and the Natives appeared much cheered with the prospect of increasing the quantity so nearly double of that cleaned by the shell in the same space of time. They have cattle and horses, and appear to be in a very healthy and prosperous state. Total Native population, 104.

20th Settlement.—“MATAIHUKA.”

Distant from “Whareroa” about 3 miles on the coast is a small village, the huts being scattered; but their cultivations are in good order, and their potatoe crop, which is an early one, promises well: They are a sub-division of Ngatitoas and Ngatiawas, and appear to be an industrious little community. Population, 39.

21st Settlement.—“TE URUHI.”

Within a mile of Waikanae is nearly deserted. Several of the Natives returned with William King to Waitara many have died within the last few years, and a very few persons only occupy the ground—they are now, properly speaking, a part of the Waikanae Tribe, and will soon remove to the new village, are included in the Waikanae census: and their cultivations now form part of those belonging to the new settlement.

22nd Settlement.—“WAIKANAE.”

Formerly the Pa belonging to the Chief William King, who recently emigrated with the larger portion of the Tribe to Waitara. The Waikanae portion of the Pa is deserted; those Natives who remained have removed a little into the interior where a village has been laid out for them by the Government. The Oterana, or Te Tupe’s portion of the Pa, is still occupied; many of the huts in the old Pa have fallen to pieces, and the Pa itself is in a state of ruin. The Church only is used by them for divine worship on the Sabbath day. Very few huts have been erected in the new village, but material for a new Church is in course of preparation. Their cultivations this year are very limited, owing I think to the uncertainty of many of the Natives remaining permanently. William King seems anxious that they should all join him, and uses every means to encourage their doing so. The site chosen for the new village is in every respect much more convenient for their plantations, and very much more healthy than the old Pa, which is now very nearly buried by the strong sand drifts.

The whole of the land between Wainui and Waikanae has been for some years in the occupation of small Tribes belonging to the Ngatiawa, who were originally put in possession by the Ngatiruanuis. I believe the Ngatiruanuis have allowed the claim of the Ngatiawas as far as the Kukutauaki stream, and would not in case of a sale raise any obstacle; but I believe the Ngatitoa consider that since William King’s departure for Taranaki the land has again reverted to them, and that they would expect to have a voice in the event of a sale taking place. Some of the Ngatitoa are planting near the new village, and among them is the daughter of the late Tungia, who, I believe, with Te Rangitawhanga, Rangihaeata, and other chiefs, put the present occupants in possession. The extent of land is by no means great, and only fenced for grazing. Mr. Rhodes has a cattle station here. Population, 231.

I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your obedient humble servant,

H. Tacy Kemp,
Native Secretary.

The Honorable,
The Colonial Secretary,
New Munster.

[For further particulars in reference to the foregoing Report, vide Table No. 2, annexed.]


REPORT No. 3.

“OTAKI, MANAWATU, AND RANGITIKEI DISTRICTS.”

Rangitikei, March 10, 1850.

Sir,—In continuation of my Report No. 2, I do myself the honor to enclose herewith Return and Journal for the month ending February. I beg leave also to accompany them in the usual manner with a few general observations for the Lieutenant-Governor’s information.

23rd Settlement.—“OTAKI.”

Distant from Waikanae about 10 miles, beach road, is situated about two miles inland, and is the head quarters of the tribe commonly called Ngatiraukawa. Otaki, I think, is the best specimen of anything like a new or regular system of Maori settlement anywhere to be found in New Zealand. The village has been laid out by a Government Surveyor, and allotments apportioned to each married couple. Many of these allotments are now occupied, and the huts which are as usual built of the reed, have the additional comfort of clay chimneys, and other conveniences which they never thought of before. Many of these allotments are also well fenced, here and there a good substantial weatherboarded barn—also a cottage or two in European style, with gardens, fruit trees, &c., and with the Church, which is the largest and best specimen of Native architecture I have ever seen, unite to give the place an air of comfort and good order rarely to be met with in a district inhabited exclusively by Natives.



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Online Sources for this page:

VUW Te Waharoa PDF New Munster Gazette 1850, No 16





✨ LLM interpretation of page content

🪶 Report on Waikanae and Porirua Districts (continued from previous page)

🪶 Māori Affairs
31 January 1850
Native Settlements, Population, Waikanae, Porirua, Takapuahia, Komangarautawhiri, Taupo, Pukerua, Paripari, Wainui
  • H. Tacy Kemp, Native Secretary

🪶 Report on Otaki, Manawatu, and Rangitikei Districts

🪶 Māori Affairs
10 March 1850
Native Settlements, Population, Otaki, Manawatu, Rangitikei, Ngatiraukawa
  • H. Tacy Kemp, Native Secretary