Arawa who had fought with the Crown.23 As a result they had stayed in Tauranga and had been living on the Maori reserves at Omokoroa. Ngati Haua had leased their Omokoroa reserves to J.T. Gellibrand, and a dispute arose because the lease was opposed by other Maori in the area. Clarke resolved the dispute by arranging for Ngati Haua to sell the reserves to Gellibrand. He also encouraged Ngati Rangiwewehi to agree to move to Huharua.24 A census of the Maori population in 1881 recorded that 54 Ngati Rangiwewehi and 15 Ngati Rangi were living at Huharua.25
1.3 ALIENATION OF MAORI RESERVES
Lot 210 Parish of Te Puna
On 2 June 1896 the Native Land Court appointed successors to Penetaka Tuaia, the original owner of lot 210. The successors were: Mita Hamiora, Rikihana, Mere Hauporoa, Tuakiwaho Ihaka, Rauaka Ihaka, Wetea Ihaka, Te Tauawhi, and Hamiora Rahipera.26 Wetea Ihaka and Rauaka Ihaka were later succeeded to by Taukiwaho Ihaka. An earlier succession order had been made on 19 October 1893 in favour of Pumamao Puhirake and six others, but this order was never signed and sealed by the Court, and was later marked as ‘cancelled’.27
On 27 November 1915 Mita Hamiora, Rikihana, Taukiwaho Ihaka, Te Tauawhi, and Hamiora Rahipere signed a deed to sell lot 210 to Thomas Plummer for £250.28 The price was equivalent to the government valuation for the section.29 It appears that the alienation was confirmed by the Waiariki District Maori Land Board, subject to payment of the purchase price.30
When arranging the sale, Plummer’s solicitor, Tudhope, had checked the Native Land Court records to ascertain who held title to the land. After the transfer had been signed by those people named in the succession order of 1896, Tudhope requested the title to the land from the deeds office. It has then discovered that no Crown grant had ever actually been issued granting lot 210 to Penetaka Tuaia.31 This meant that Plummer could not obtain title to the land he had purchased from Maori, because legally it was still Crown land.
As a result, Tudhope wrote to the Under Secretary of Lands, asking that a Crown grant be issued in favour of Penetaka Tuaia. The Minister of Lands and Solicitor General then applied to the Native Land Court, under section 11 of the Native Land
23 Evelyn Stokes, A History of Tauranga County, Dunmore Press, Palmerston North, 1980, p 114
24 Stokes, 1990, pp 171-172
25 Stokes, 1990, p 161
26 Particulars of Title, 27 November 1915, BCAC A187 Box 214 744 Lot 210 Te Puna, NA Auckland
27 Judge Wilson to Chief Judge, 27 May 1918, BCAC A187 Box 214 744 Lot 210 Te Puna, NA Auckland
28 Memorandum of Transfer, 27 November 1915, BCAC A187 Box 214 744 Lot 210 Te Puna, NA Auckland
29 Valuation of 15 December 1915, BCAC A187 Box 214 744 Lot 210 Te Puna, NA Auckland
30 Extract from Tauranga Minute Book, vol 10, fol 6, 2 May 1917, BCAC A187 Box 214 744 Lot 210 Te Puna, NA Auckland
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