GIVEN IN 1847, TAKEN IN 1943

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 15, 13 October 1943, Page 6

GIVEN IN 1847, TAKEN IN 1943

Waiwhetu Native Land LAST GOOD MAORI AREA IN HUTT VALLEY Nearly 109 years ago, in 1847, there was trouble in the Hutt Valley when certain chiefs sold Wellington and the Hutt for blankets and other trifles, but the rank and file of Maoris could not understand why they should have to leave their pas and cultivations for the Europeans. The then Lieutenant-Gov-ernor, Sir George Grey, appointed Lieu-tenant-Colonel AV. A. MeCleverty to make peace. An agreement was reached and among other lands an area at Waiwhetu was awarded to certain Natives as compensation for the loss of their pas and cultivations. That was in 1847, but in 1943, by Government proclamation, 70 acres of this land —all that is useable for housing and some that is not—lias peen taken under the Public Works Act for housing, and the compensation to be paid riie Natives is to be determined by the Native Land Court This was the last sizeable block o£ good Native property in the Hutt Valley. Previously other Native areas were acquired for bousing purposes. The erection of modern homes on this .Waiwhetu block, which already has State rental houses round it, will undoubtedly improve Hie district, but on the other hand the .small Native community will be disintegrated. Communal settlement of Maoris in the Hutt Valley will become a matter of history rather than fact once the subdivision of the land, followed by the erection of houses, gets under way. Colonel AfcCleverty had no difficulty iu 1847 in finding other suitable lands for the dispossessed Natives, but in 1943 this cannot be done and they will be compensated in money which will doubtless remain in Native trust to be administered for their benefit. The land was first placed under notice of intention to take in March, 1938, but a proclamation was not placed over it till March this year. Of the 70 acres. 64 is usable for bousing, and the balance is regarded mainly as waste or, being steep, unsuited for building. Some of the houses on the property are occupied by Maoris (three of the houses of a particular family accommodate 16 persons), others are let to European tenants, while a large part of the back area is worked by Chinese as market garden land. The frontages are to Waiwhetu Road and White’s Line East, with the Waiwhetu River running through the centre. There are State houses on three sides of the Native block. There is approximately £SOOO outstanding in rates on the land to the Lower Hutt City Council, but this debt has been compounded at approximately £4OOO. which will probably be met out of the compensation awarded. Some time ago the Lower Hutt council endeavoured to negotiate with the Native owners, part of the council proposition being the establishment of a model Maori centre on the block, but nothing came of it. As far as is known there is no such provision contemplated under the State housing scheme. Some of the Natives are direct descendants of those to whom the land was given under the deed issued under the name of Colonel McCleverty. Others have no historic connexion with the block. This deed stated in part: “We, the landholders and chiefs residing at and belonging to Waiwhetu on the River Hutt agree on the 30th day of August, 1847, to give up to Her Majesty’s Government all those cultivations which we have hitherto had on sections in the Harbour and Hutt districts or elsewhere belonging to European settlers on our receiving from Lieutenant-Colonel MeCleverty subject to the approval of the Governor or Lieutenant-Governor portions, of. land we have seen and agree to receive in the Hutt district. ...” Then follows a description of the land, and these two interesting clauses: “11l addition, Te Puni relinquishes any claim to a portion of Native reserve near the bridge to the M’aiwhetu Natives. . . And “The Natives of Waiwhetu are also guaranteed in their -pah, plan of which is annexed.”