Maori of Hauraki from becoming embroiled in civil strife. Te Moananui’s advice to ‘remain in Hauraki’ echoes the attitude he had adopted in 1863 during the wars in the Waikato. The meeting continued on 8 and 9 February without any substantial shift in opinions. On the last day, Mackay obtained just four signatures, on an agreement concerning the Waitekauri block.

Meanwhile, since December miners had begun to assemble in increasing numbers at Thorp’s station in the expectation that the opposition would soon crumble. Some of these were conducted on prospecting trips or signed leasing agreements with individual Maori right-holders, to the displeasure of Te Hira, who wrote to Thorp and Wood ordering them and the Europeans who were living with them to leave. Thorp met with Te Hira, who was friendly but unhappy that there were so many miners starting to operate in the region.

Mackay was generally quite scrupulous about keeping miners out of areas not opened to mining, but in this instance he had particularly pressing concerns. By February, Mackay had learnt of attempts by a group of Irish miners – rumoured to be associated with the revolutionary Irish nationalists known as Fenians – to enter into a direct leasing arrangement with the ‘Hauhaus’. The leading figure was thought to be a certain Michael O’Connor, also suspected of promising to supply weapons. Mackay held a public meeting at Thorp’s farm on 7 February asking all Europeans to leave by 9 February 1869. When a few miners continued prospecting, Mackay swore in a force of 35 Maori special constables and removed all but established settlers and their servants from the Ohinemuri region.

Mackay was very concerned not to inflame a dangerous situation. He had heeded the comparisons made with the Waitara purchase at the December meeting in Ohinemuri and declared at Thames in February:

We know the result of the Waitara case, which was analogous to this. Teira wished to give up the land, but William King, who was a greater chief, and who owned a small portion of the land, determined that it should not be given up. Governor Gore Browne said ‘I will survey the land and take what is Teira’s’ – thinking himself justified in asserting the right to Teira’s land, and the result was a war.³¹

For once, Mackay found the miners willing to heed his warning. Reinforcing the need for caution was the presence of Te Kooti nearby; in March 1869 he was reported to be in the forest inland of Tauranga, and Te Hira warned settlers to leave Ohinemuri because he was concerned for their safety.³²

As related, Mackay resigned in March 1869. HT Clarke succeeded him as Civil Commissioner for Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty; in Hauraki Mackay was replaced by EW Puckey, occupying the new position of native officer (or native agent).³³

31. New Zealand Herald, 23 February 1869 (p 171)

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

33. Document o6, p 176