The area under research was all part of the land confiscated by the Crown in 1865. Although the Katikati area was nominally returned to Maori after confiscation, the Katikati block was then purchased by the Crown, in what has been described as a forced sale. Chiefs from Ngaiterangi, Ngatimaru and Ngatitamatera received payments for their interests in the block. Government officials agreed to the creation of reserves within the purchase land, and Otawhiwhi reserve was awarded in trust to Ngai Tauwhao. Otawhiwhi reserve was an area of just over 68 acres, in lot 1 Katikati Parish, although the original agreement had been for a substantially larger reserve of 100 acres.
Whanau a Tauwhao’s ownership of Otawhiwhi reserve was formalised in 1922, when the Native Land Court made an order determining the beneficial owners of the reserve. The owners were said to be those included in a list drawn up by Petera Te Ninihi. The list included members of Whanau a Tauwhao who had been living at Tuhua at the time of the confiscation, but who had subsequently been invited to settle at Otawhiwhi. The block was then partitioned in 1923. The commitment of Whanau a Tauwhao to their whenua was evident from the construction (and reconstruction) of the meeting house and development of the marae site. During the depression in the 1930s money was raised from the hapu to fund the construction of a dining hall. An application was made for a subsidy from the Maori Purposes Fund Board. Not only was the application declined, but the funds supplied by the hapu were held by the fund board for two years, despite repeated requests for the money to be released.
By the 1950s there is evidence that the area reserved for Whanau a Tauwhao was insufficient to support the hapu. At this time, requests were made to government departments about the possibility of part of the recreation reserve being made available for Maori settlement. There was also some suggestion that the recreation reserve contained Maori reserved land. In the 1960s a lack of land exacerbated the movement of Maori away from traditional marae based communities. These communities, at this time, were unable to offer employment and housing for their people. Fortunately, by the late 1970s there was renewed interest in Otawhiwhi, and a campaign was launched to restore the marae and encourage Whanau a Tauwhao to return to the area. This campaign was successful in both rebuilding the marae structurally and socially. Today there are a few families living permanently on the land.
The Crown retained ownership of the remainder of the headland. Bowentown Domain is made up of two areas of former Crown land; lot 26, Katikati Parish, is a coastal strip on the eastern tip of the headland, and the remainder of the headland is lot 25. In 1897 the Crown reserved lot 26 for public recreation, and in 1899 lot 25 was also reserved. In 1902 the power to administer the domain under the Public Domains Act 1881 was delegated to the Katikati Domain Board which administered the domain until 1976.
The various domain boards encouraged people to build baches on the domain between 1902 and 1937. In 1937, under Ministerial direction, the board advised these tenants that they would be required to vacate their holiday homes in 20 years time.
