Mair reported that the separate 50 acre part of the reserve was included in the Crown award "at the wish of the natives and to save expense of surveying".75
The Crown award was declared Crown Land in July 1896.76
In August 1907 Merea Wikiriwhi petitioned Parliament that
the partition which was made by the Native Land Court in the month of May [sic] 1896 was not right, is absolutely wrong, that is to say the said partition was not in accordance with what we arranged, what we wished, that is to say in our opinion this partition is most exceedingly wrong. ...
The papakainga and food workings of our ancestors down to our parents and elders have been included in the said partition to the Government. ...
My burial places and my dead, very many in number, have been included in the said partition to the Government. ...
Captain Mair was the Government officer at that time, and before the said land was partitioned Captain Mair approached me, and he and I discussed the matter of the said (prospective) partition; and we made an arrangement between us in regard to the said partition, i.e. with reference to the allocation of the portion for myself and my two children Hon Te Paoro Wirikihana and Tamati Mitai Wirikihana, i.e. that the interests of us three be cut off at the side of the road, at the end towards Waihi, i.e. on the right hand side of the road going from Waihi to Katikati.
... long after the time when the said land was subdivided I (first) became aware that the said partition had been utterly wrongly made, and was not in accordance with what had been laid down by myself and Captain Mair, viz, we had been thrown into the worst part, i.e. into the hill, and that part is of no value whatever to us.
Merea asked for the 1896 partition to be set aside, and the Court ordered to make a fresh partition of the Ngatikoi reserve.77
The Native Department's report on the petition was that
From the minutes it would appear that the petitioner was present in Court and agreed to the Land Purchase Officer's proposal to locate her interest in the north-eastern portion of the block. I am informed that the portion then awarded to the Crown has since been cut up into a number of subdivisions, many of which are now in occupation by Europeans.78
The Native Affairs Committee resolved to make no recommendation on the petition.79
In October 1909 Merea Wikiriwhi tried again with a second similar petition to Parliament.80 The Native Department made a similar report,81 and the Native Affairs Committee again decided to make no recommendation.82
75 Land Purchase Officer Thames to Chief Land Purchase Officer, 31 May 1896. Maori Affairs Head Office file MLP 1920/31. Supporting Papers #B174.30-31.
76 New Zealand Gazette 1896 pages 1075-1076. Supporting Papers #W29.1-2.
77 Petition 792/07 of Merea Wikiriwhi, 22 August 1907. Maori Affairs Head Office file MLP 1920/31. Supporting Papers #B174.32-33.
78 Under Secretary Native Department to Chairman Native Affairs Committee, 14November 1907. Maori Affairs Head Office file MLP 1920/31. Supporting Papers #8174.34.
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