The southern boundary of the Thames goldfield was fixed at the Omahu Stream (north of Hikutaia) in 1868. As described at section 9.3.4, James Mackay found that south of this stream he encountered serious opposition to mining expressed by Herewini Te Rangai of Ngati Pu, a hapu of Ngati Rongo-u and Ngati Maru. At least for the time being, Mackay and the Government were obliged to acquiesce in the Kingitanga aukati, which included Ohinemuri. The opening of Thames contrasts with that of Ohinemuri, in that in the latter the Crown pursued the freehold of the land as much as a mining agreement. Treaty issues arise in relation to both goals.
The leading figure in the aukati was Te Hira Te Tuiri of Te Matewaru hapu of Ngati Tamatera, a Kingitanga supporter from at least 1862 (see sec 5.3.1). Te Hira remained at Ohinemuri during the war; he was not particularly belligerent but staunch in his desire for Maori to retain significant areas of land, and autonomy within them from the Crown. Among Te Hira’s most important supporters was Tukukino, rangatira of Te Kiriwera hapu of Ngati Tamatera1, who in the post-war years during which Ohinemuri remained closed to mining, repeatedly declared his willingness to fight in defence of the land.
The Ohinemuri district was a stronghold for supporters of the Kingitanga before gold- mining became an issue. A political boundary or aukati would probably have been established around it even if there had been no gold. The upper Thames had already provided a refuge for Maori displaced by the Waikato and Bay of Plenty confiscations. Ngati Porou of Mataora also came in from the coast when threatened by fighting around Tauranga in early 1867.
In the immediate post-war years, the Ohinemuri region remained unsettled, affected by the rise of the Pai Marire movement and Te Kooti’s links to the area. In April 1867, Te Hira received a party of Pai Marire delegates from Waikato, which tried but failed to persuade
