King Country Settlers

 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 se...

The New Zealand wars of the nineteenth century have had a significant place in historical research for almost as long as New Zealand history has been recorded. However, less attention has been paid to the social repercussion of the wars, and intercultural relationships in the post-conflict settler milieu.  I am embarking on a research project for a PhD in History at Otago University. My project will investigate the aftermath of the Waikato War, with a focus on the King Country region. I will record some of my reflections on this blog site and will welcome feedback. My research will consider the period from the early 1880s until 1914 and examine how the relationships between Māori and settlers, were negotiated, formed, and managed within the King Country. Once the aukati boundary had been lifted and settlers began to move into the King Country how were the boundaries pertaining to cultural, national and personal identity experienced? What factors came into play from the key parties ...