Traveling with the Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on nine separate sheets in many different places throughout New Zealand during the year 1840. The first sheet to be signed was the Waitangi Sheet. It was signed by 240 rangatira altogether, many after the initial 6 February signing at Waitangi. 43 chiefs signed on 6 February at Waitangi as well as Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson and several English residents. Other locations it was signed include Waimate North, Mangungu in the Hokianga Harbour, Karaka Bay in the Waitematā Harbour, Kaitāia, Russell and in other parts of the Bay of Islands. 64 signatures were gathered at Mangungu on 12 February, in the presence of Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson, who had come to Hokianga almost directly from the first treaty signing at Waitangi. The strongest opposition to the Treaty was found at this meeting. Nevertheless, these signatories were later faithful to it. They fought against Hōne Heke in the 1845-6 Northern War.
On 4 March 17 Tāmaki rangatira signed at Karaka Bay, near the mouth of the Tāmaki River. Hobson’s party travelled from Kaitāia to Waitematā aboard HMS Herald. A motivation and outcome for these Māori was that the treaty offered protection from Ngā Puhi to the north and Waikato to the south. Many of these Māori were Ngāti Pāoa rangatira who lived on Waiheke Island and on the western coast of the Firth of Thames. In July, the official British party may have returned to Karaka Bay. In any case, somewhere in Tāmaki on 9 July, Hobson convened his last treaty meeting. They were keen to secure the tohu of Te Wherowhero, the influential Waikato rangatira who later became the first King of te Kīngitanga. Although Te Wherowhero did not sign, he did not appear to harbour any ill will towards Hobson.
Colonial Secretary Willoughby Shortland was selected as Hobson’s deputy for the significant task of sending the sheets around the country. Shortland sent the Manukau-Kāwhia Sheet to Captain William Symonds to gather signatures from chiefs around and south of Manukau Harbour. Symonds was working in the area for the sake of a proposed Scottish land company settlement. Three Ngāti Whātua chiefs, Kawau, Tinana and Rēweti, signed at a second meeting on 20 March. 10 more signatures were collected at Kāwhia between April and September. Each tohu or mark is preceded by the Reo particle “ko,” indicating identity. The sheet was the last to be returned, in 1841.
The Waikato-Manukau Sheet was signed at Waikato Heads and in the Manukau Harbour in March/April.
The Printed Sheet was signed in Waikato in March/April.
The Tauranga Sheet was signed in Tauranga between April and May.
The Bay of Plenty (Fedarb) sheet was signed in Ōpōtiki, Tōrere, Whakatāne and Te Kaha between May and June.
The Herald (Bunbury) sheet was signed in the Coromandel, on Mercury Island, in Akaroa, Otago Heads, Hawke’s Bay etc between May and June.
The Cook Strait (Henry Williams) sheet was signed in Port Nicholson, Queen Charlotte Sound, Kāpiti, Manawatū, Waikanae, Whanganui etc between May and June.
The East Coast sheet was signed at Tūranga, Ūawa, Whakawhitirā Waiapu, Rangitukia Waiapu and Tokomaru between May and June.
In total, more than 500 rangatira signed the Treaty in 1840. About some signatories, we have a lot of biographical information, whereas about others, we have only their tohu.
Image: View from Karaka Bay, Waitematā Harbour, looking out on Brown’s Island (Motukorea) near the mouth of the Tāmaki River. The Treaty was signed here on 4 March 1840.