Maori and Economic Development in the Taihape Inquiry District
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Wai 2180, #A48 Maori and Economic Development in the Taihape Inquiry District 1860-2013 Philip Cleaver August 2016 Author Philip Cleaver holds a Master of Arts in history from Victoria University of Wellington. Since 1999 he has mostly worked as a commissioned researcher for the Waitangi Tribunal. In addition to projects undertaken for the Taihape district inquiry, he has prepared research reports for the Hauraki, Gisborne, Urewera, Wairarapa ki Tararua, Whanganui, and Rohe Potae inquiries. He has appeared before the Tribunal as a technical witness on a number of occasions. For the Taihape inquiry, Philip has written a report on the taking of Maori land for public works purposes (Wai 2180 #A9) and, prior to undertaking this report on economic development issues, he prepared a scoping report on economic development and social service delivery (Wai 2180 #A14). 2 Table of Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................. 6 List of Tables............................................................................................... 6 Introduction ........................................................................................ 8 Chapter One: Nineteenth Century Maori Population and the Physical Environment and Resources of the Inquiry District ............................ 20 Introduction .............................................................................................. 20 The people of Mokai Patea and developments up to 1865 .......................... 21 Maori population and settlement patterns ................................................... 25 Physical environment and resources ......................................................... 34 Conclusion ................................................................................................ 43 Chapter Two: Emerging Opportunities and Early Settlement Activity, 1860-1890 ......................................................................................... 45 Introduction .............................................................................................. 45 Assessment of physical environment, resources, and economic opportunities, 1862-1863 ...................................................................... 47 Ongoing speculation concerning gold within Mokai Patea, 1865-1875 ....... 52 Development of the pastoral economy in the north, 1865-1890 ................. 54 Farming sheep for the wool export trade ..................................................... 54 Growing interest in the grazing potential of Inland Patea ........................... 56 Pakeha runholders and Mokai Patea Maori enter into leasing arrangements ................................................................................................................. 57 Early Maori involvement in sheep farming .................................................. 60 Pakeha runholders secure rights over further Maori land ........................... 61 Continuing Maori involvement in sheep farming and conflicts over land use rights........................................................................................................ 63 Sheep ownership data, 1879-1890 ............................................................. 65 Pakeha runholders – investment and profitability....................................... 70 The Maori farming economy in the north ..................................................... 71 Economic activity in the south, 1865-1890 ............................................... 75 Land development obstacles ....................................................................... 75 Leasing of Maori lands in the south ............................................................ 77 Widespread alienation through sale ............................................................ 81 Maori involvement in land-based activities in the south ............................. 81 Settler dominance of land-based economy in the south .............................. 83 Role of the Native Land Court .................................................................... 84 Effectiveness of the Court process ............................................................... 86 3 Costs ............................................................................................................ 92 Leasing ................................................................................................... 102 Land sales .............................................................................................. 105 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 113 Chapter Three: Expansion of Pakeha Settlement and the Decline of Maori Involvement in the Pastoral Economy, 1891-1909 .................. 119 Introduction ............................................................................................ 119 North Island Main Trunk railway and the ‘opening’ of the Mokai Patea interior ................................................................................................ 121 Sawmilling .............................................................................................. 135 Agriculture .............................................................................................. 150 Maori aspirations and involvement ........................................................... 159 Obstacles to effective Maori land utilisation ............................................. 167 Issues raised in letters of 9 September 1892 and 18 April 1895 .............. 168 Ongoing cost of Native Land Court ............................................................ 177 Land alienation .......................................................................................... 178 Title and consolidation .............................................................................. 187 Management .............................................................................................. 190 Debt burden and access to lending finance .............................................. 191 Other economic opportunities ................................................................. 195 Wage labour .............................................................................................. 196 Supply of resources for development of transport infrastructure .............. 200 Opportunities associated with the development of townships .................. 201 Land sales and leasing ............................................................................ 204 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 207 Chapter Four: Mokai Patea Maori and the Post-Settlement Era Economy, 1910-2013 ....................................................................... 210 Introduction ............................................................................................ 210 Population developments ........................................................................ 212 Further decline of Mokai Patea Maori land base ...................................... 216 Indigenous timber industry and exotic forestry ........................................ 224 Agriculture .............................................................................................. 227 Overview of developments in the agricultural economy ............................ 227 Mokai Patea Maori involvement in farming ............................................... 239 State-assisted land development and lending finance .............................. 254 Title developments and statutory management entities ............................ 263 Sale of timber and payment for protection of forest resources .................. 266 Sale of stone resources ............................................................................ 267 Employment patterns .............................................................................. 269 4 Maori employment prior to 1957 ................................................................ 270 Electoral roll evidence ................................................................................ 272 Employment data in 2013 census results ................................................. 279 Military employment ............................................................................... 282 Other state-sector work opportunities ..................................................... 283 Restructuring of the state sector ............................................................. 287 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 291 Conclusion ....................................................................................... 296 Appendix 1: Specific economic development issues raised in Wai claims .. 303 Appendix 2: Colenso and Taylor’s population observations, 1845-1860 ... 306 Appendix 3: Maori residing in the Taihape inquiry district, 1936 Census . 310 Appendix 4: Maori residing in the Taihape inquiry district, 1966 Census . 311 Appendix 5: Occupations recorded in 1960, 1978, and 1996 Maori electoral rolls (comprehensive), Taihape inquiry district ..................................... 312 Appendix 6: Occupations of males and females recorded in 1960, 1978, and 1996 Maori electoral rolls, Taihape inquiry district .............................. 315 Appendix 7: Iwi affiliation recorded in 1960 electoral roll, Taihape inquiry district ...............................................................................................