Boundaries and Belonging: Introduction

 At the end of the Waikato war (1863-1864), following their defeat at Ōrākau in April 1864, the Waikato Tribes led by the second Māori King Tāwhiao retreated beyond the Pūniu River into the rohe of Maniapoto. An aukati was established which, in the north ran from Aotea Harbour across to Taupo and in the south bordered the rohe of the Taranaki tribes. Government forces overall respected the aukati, as it was politically expedient. For the next twenty years a ‘cold war’ ensued in which it was very dangerous for settlers to enter the King Country. Te Rohe Pōtae effectively operated as a separate state until 1883 when Ngāti Maniapoto chiefs agreed to a survey for the main trunk railway line that was planned to traverse the rohe. Following this, Te Rohe Pōtae was progressively made available for settlement. I am interested in understanding what the relationships between Māori and settlers were like in this early settler period. How did the kingites, the kūpapa Māori and the settlers from various parts of the world including – internal migrants, and migrants from other British colonies – work to create a meaningful life for themselves? How were cultural boundaries between Māori and settlers negotiated? Could former enemies become 'adversaries' instead, cooperating and competing to claim autonomy, power, and identity? Were there new boundaries established? If so, how were these experienced and what impact did they have?

There has been a significant amount of research and analysis published about the invasion by British troops into the Waikato and the consequent war and its impacts on different Māori communities through to the present, including by William Pember Reeves, James Cowan, Keith Sinclair, James Belich, and Vincent O’Malley. The rise and decline of the Kīngitanga has been detailed by Angela Ballara, Michael Belgrave, and others. The implementation and consequences of the confiscations of Māori land in the Waikato is discussed by David McCan and Richard Boast. However, research into and analysis of the period following the lifting of the aukati for the existing and new communities who lived there is limited. Military and political history offer a glimpse into the life of people living in the late nineteenth early twentieth century Waikato and King Country region. From a personal perspective I think there remain many unanswered questions and I intend to open new areas for investigation leading to a thicker understanding of our history during this unique and formative time, when former enemies come together to live in proximity.


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