King Country Boundary
In the 1880s the colonial Government negotiated with several influential chiefs to have the King Country boundaries delineated.
On 19 December 1883, at Kihikihi, S. P. Smith, the Chief Surveyor for Auckland Provincial District, reached an agreement with Wahanui, Taonui, Rewi Maniapoto, and other chiefs “to make an accurate survey of the external boundaries of the block, in order that a Crown Grant might issue to the tribes possessing it”.
The survey (triangulation) commenced on 8 January 1884 and was completed by 30 July of the same year.
As a result of this survey the boundary of the King Country was defined for the first time. It ran from the west coast at a point due west of Oporangi Lake, curved east-north-east to Pirongia Mountain; then east-south-east, to cross the Waipa River and followed a line, parallel to the Puniu Stream, to meet the Waikato River slightly east of Rotongata Lake.
The boundary then followed the south bank of the Waikato River to the Waipapa Stream, where it turned south to enter Lake Taupo at Whangamata Bay. It crossed Lake Taupo to Mt. Motuopa and turned south-south-east to reach the Kaimanawa Range at the headwaters of the Whitikau Stream.
It followed the mountain crests, paralleling the Rangitikei River to the headwaters of the Whangaehu River, before curving westwards to the headwaters of the Upper Waikato River, and Paretetaitonga (Ruapehu).
From Te Kohatu it turned north-north-west to Panepane, and then curved westwards, skirting the Waimarino Plains, to meet the Wanganui River at the Whenuatere Stream. It then followed the southern boundary of Ngato Maniapoto tribal lands westward to meet the Taranaki confiscation line near Mt. Tatu.
From there it followed the confiscation line and the boundaries of the Mohakatino, Parininihi and Mokau-Mohakatino Blocks northwards to, then westwards along the Mokau River.
It turned north again to follow the eastern outline of the Awakino, Taumatamaire, and Pauroa Blocks to the Whenuikua Stream, where it turned west to meet the coast at the north of the Hiakomako Stream. All land within this boundary – about 7,000 square miles in all – formed the King Country Block.
Since the survey was made, many portions of the King Country have been opened for settlement, and much land has been sold or leased to settlers. Te Kuiti, Taumarunui, and Otorohanga, which were once Maori villages, are now thriving towns.
No vestige of the Maori “King's” independent “principality” remains but, for many years, the district was subject to special provisions about the sale of liquor.
This took place on 3 December 1884 when the Government of the day issued a Proclamation under section 25 of the Licensing Act of 1881. There was nothing secret about this action (for years there was talk in some quarters of a secret “pact” or “pledge”); any other Maori district, if it so desired, could be declared a no-licence area under the Act of 1881.
by Bernard John Foster, M.A., Research Officer, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington.
(The spelling of certain place names in this article is in accordance with that on the original survey map. Ed.)
Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives: C–1, Sess. II, 1884
G–9, 1885; H–25, 1953, “Liquor and the King Country”, McLintock, A. H.; The New Zealand Wars , Cowan, J. (1955)
The King Country , Kerry-Nicholls, H. (1884)