Once the Katikati block had been purchased by the Crown, it was then surveyed and divided into allotments (see figure 5). The Bowentown isthmus was divided into 4 lots: lot 1 (68 acres 3 roods) was the Maori reserve, and lot 24 covered the centre of the isthmus, which at that stage was largely a swampy lagoon. The coastal strip and eastern tip of the headland became lot 26 (105 acres 2 roods) and the rest of the headland area was lot 25 (80 acres).
The survey plan drawn up in 1890 described lot 26 as ‘bare sand hills’, and lot 25 as ‘Fair soil with scrub manuka’.62 While lot 26 was probably regarded as Crown waste land, some revenue for the Crown was earned from lot 25, which was leased to Charles Harley, a Waihi farmer, from 1 January 1894 for a term of 25 years. The lease was a licence to occupy the land with a right of purchase, issued under sections 152 to 156 of the Land Act 1892.63
The Bowentown Domain began to be created in 1897. The first step was to temporarily reserve lot 26 from sale under section 235 of the Land Act 1892. Shortly afterwards, as per section 236, the reservation was declared to be permanent. A proclamation was issued on 10 September 1897 which declared that lot 26 of the Parish of Katikati was reserved under section 236 of the Land Act 1892 for the purposes of public recreation.64
The same procedure was followed in 1899 to reserve lot 25. After first being temporarily reserved from sale, the 80 acre lot was permanently reserved for public recreation under section 236 of the Land Act 1892, by a proclamation dated 20 May 1899.65 It would appear that Harley’s occupation licence was not affected by the reservation. Presumably, the continued use of the land for grazing saved the Crown from having to maintain the reserve and control the spread of weeds.
While the reserve was held under the Land Act 1892, the Crown Lands Department was responsible for its administration. This responsibility was delegated to a local organisation in 1902. In February of that year a proclamation was issued which declared that the recreation reserve was brought under the operation of the Public Domains Act 1881, and would be managed and administered as directed by that Act.66 At the same time, 21 February 1902, all powers of administration under the Public Domains Act 1881 were delegated to the Katikati Road Board.67 The Order in Council said that the Katikati Road Board (to be known as the Katikati Domain Board) would have:
all the powers conferred by the said Act, except the powers conferred by sections five and twelve thereof, for the period of ten years from the date hereof (unless previously altered or revoked under the said Act).
62 SO 5737
63 D.W. Kirk to County Clerk, Tauranga County Council, 19 February 1964, Katikati Domain Records, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, (WBoPDC)
