which in turn required the landowners’ consent. Mackay soon used these provisions in turning unauthorised miners out of Ohinemuri.

While Williamson was in Shortland, Ropata Te Arakai (also known as Te Pokiha) came with Periniki and Wikiriwhi Hautonga of Ngati Taiuru hapu of Ngati Tamatera⁸ to offer their Ohinemuri lands to be leased for gold mining. Te Arakai, of Te Uriwha hapu of Ngati Tamatera or Ngati Hura hapu of Ngati Paoa (or both),⁹ was considered by Mackay as ‘always … loyal and well-disposed towards Europeans’.¹⁰ He had wanted Ohinemuri to be opened from 1865, and the Kingitanga aukati created a rift between him and Te Hira. After Te Arakai’s visit, Mackay arranged for Te Moananui to accompany Superintendant Williamson to Ohinemuri, but just then gold was discovered at Tapu Creek (see sec 9.3.3), diverting Mackay’s attention. No agreement was made with Ropata at this time, but he was to become an important ally of Mackay’s in future negotiations.

A year later, on 5 October 1868, Mackay attended a public meeting at which:

a quarrel arose between the Hauhaus and the friendly Natives, which resulted in two of the latter (Periniki and Wikiriwhi) coming forward and offering the whole of their lands for goldmining. This was seconded by the loyal chief Ropata Te Arakai and his people, to the great dismay of the Hauhau party, who left the meeting in anger and disgust at these proceedings.¹¹

Ropata’s description of the events, as reported in the New Zealand Herald, was as follows:

Mr Mackay came to Ohinemuri in consequence of a letter he had received from Te Hira, which letter had nothing to do with the question of opening the land, but was respecting the aukati or boundary line which the Hauhaus wished to draw at Hikutaia, beyond which the pakeha was not to come. A large native meeting was then held. On this occasion there was a great amount of talk respecting the opening of the goldfields at Ohinemuri. The Hauhaus were totally opposed to it. One of us (the friendly side) then got up and handed over his ground to Mr Mackay. This was Wikirihi...

Robert [Ropata Te Arakai] said that after Wikirihi had handed his land over to Mr Mackay, the Hauhau showed a great amount of anger. Then my friend Piriniki [sic] stood up and said, ‘No one has any authority over my land.’ He then took a stick in his hand and laid it before Mr Mackay, saying, ‘I put my stick into Mr Mackay’s hands’. The stick was lying in front of Mr Mackay when the Hauhaus rushed at it to take it up, but Mr Mackay’s hand was upon it.¹²

8. Document a10, pt 2, p 206

9. Document a8, p 195

10. Mackay, ‘Report by Mr Commissioner Mackay’, p 7

11. Ibid, p 9

12. New Zealand Herald, 26 October 1868 (doc o6, p 148)