Wai 898, # A20 TURONGO: THE NORTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY AND THE ROHE POTAE, 1870-2008 . A report commissioned by the Waitangi Tribunal for the Te Rohe Potae district inquiry (Wai 898) November 2009 Philip Cleaver ] onathan Sarich REOEIVED ~..Y.ll.~.iJ§lI].81.Jri~~una~1----I 1.: 2 u 2009 _.... --------------1 M!l1istrv of J!.lstice VV ELLII\lGTON The Authors Philip Cleaver holds a Master of Arts in history from Victoria University of Wellington (1996). Since 1999 he has mosdy worked as a commissioned researcher for the Waitangi Tribunal and the Crown Forestry Rental Trust. He has undertaken research for the Hauraki, Gisborne, Urewera, Wairarapa ki Tararua, Whanganui, and Heretaunga-Tamatea districts and has presented evidence to the Tribunal on several occasions. Three of his earlier projects have examined the taking of Maori land for public works purposes - reports concerning the Wairarapa ki Tararua district (co-authored with Cathy Marr and Lecia Schuster), Whanganui district, and Heretaunga­ Tamatea district. Jonathan Sarich holds a Masters of Arts in history from Victoria University of Wellington (2006). He has been employed at the Waitangi Tribunal as a Research Analyst/Inquiry Facilitator since January 2007. In this time he has completed the scoping report Te Whanau 0 Erana Pera Manene Ripia (Wai 973) for the East Coast district inquiry and worked on the team project Te Rohe Potae Minute Book Database. Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge a number of individuals whose help has assisted the preparation of this report. In particular, the authors would like to thank those who attended the railway focus group hui and provided information about their experiences with New Zealand Railways. Gratitude is also due to Archie Tairoa, who made available records he kept during his involvement with the Crown Congress Joint Working Party in the early 1990s. Ontrack employees John Whibly and Peter Trotman provided useful information about the disposal of surplus railway lands undertaken by the New Zealand Railways Corporation from the mid-1980s, including specific details concerning land parcels in the Te Rohe Potae inquiry district. Similar information was provided by Paul Kelly at LINZ in respect of the railway lands that have been disposed of by that organisation since 1994. Lastly,Jane Campbell at Ontrack provided details of the number of staff employed today by Ontrack and I(iwirail in the inquiry district. Cover: Turning the fust sod of the NIMT, Puniu River, Aprll1885 (ATL G961751/2) 2 Table of Contents THE AUTHORS ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................................ 2 LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................. 5 LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................................. 7 ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 8 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter One: Railways, Politics and Settlement in the North Island, 1870-1880 .............. 17 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 17 RAILWAYS AND EUROPEAN EXPANSION ........................................................................................................... 17 VOGEL, PUBLIC WORKS, AND THE 'NATIVE PROBLEM' .................................................................................... 21 RAILWAYS IN NEW ZEALAND .......; ................................................................................................................... 23 A NORTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK ........................................................................................................................ 28 GROWING PRESSURE ......................................................................................................................................... 33 GREY AND SHEEHAN, TAWHIAOAND REWI ...................................................................................................... 42 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................................... 44 Chapter Two: The Negotiations for the NIMT, 1881-1885 ............................................... .46 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 46 THE REOPENING OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE KINGITANGA .............................................................................. 47 THE AGREEMENT FOR PRELIMINARY EXPLORATION OF POTENTIAL ROUTES FOR THE NIMT ............................. 52 THE 1883 PETITION AND THE AGREEMENT FOR THE SURVEY OF THE EXTERNAL BOUNDARY ............................. 54 THE NORTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY COMMITTEE 1884 AND PREPARATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION ...... 57 THE FINAL NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NIMT................................................................... 66 THE AGREEMENTS ............................................................................................................................................ 74 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................................... 76 Chapter Three: The Construction of the NIMT and Rohe Potae hapu and iwi, 1885-1903 ............................................................................................................................................. 80 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 80 GOVERNMENT MAORI LAND PURCHASE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NIMT ............................................ 80 ROHE POTAE MAORI LABOUR CONTRACTED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NIMT ....................................... 98 USE OF TIMBER AND STONE RESOURCES .......................................................................................................... 102 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND MAHINGA KAI .................................................................................................. 112 W AI-II TAPU ..................................................................................................................................................... 114 FENCING OF THE LINE ...................................................................................................................................... 115 THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF EUROPEAN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ON ROHE POTAE MAORI ................................ 122 CONSULTATION ............................................................................................................................................... 129 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................................... 130 Chapter Four: Land Takings for Railway Purposes ......................................................... 138 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 138 UNDERSTANDINGS REGARDING THE LAND REQUIRED FOR THE NIMT ............................................................ 138 INITIAL TAKINGS FOR THE NIMT, 1886-1902 ................................................................................................. 146 COMPENSATION FOR INITIAL LAND TAKINGS FOR NIMT ................................................................................. 153 ADD ITIONAL TAKINGS, MID-1903 -1990 .......................................................................................................... 160 LEASING OF RAILWAY LANDS .......................................................................................................................... 175 LAND DISPOSALS BEFORE 1982 ....................................................................................................................... 179 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................................... 181 3 Chapter Five: Railways in the Te Rohe Potae Inquiry District, 1903-1980 ...................... 187 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 187 NIMT AND THE EXPANSION OF EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT IN THE KlNG COUNTRy ........................................... 188 SAWMILLlNG AND THE NIMT ......................................................................................................................... 194 STRATFORD-OKAHUKURA BRANCH LINE AND OTHER PROPOSED BRANCH LINES ............................................ 203 NATIVE TOWNSHIPS .......................................................................................................................................