Tūranga treaty copy

Use the tool bar at the bottom of this interactive to zoom in and navigate. The drop down menu at the top lists the names of those who signed – selecting a name takes you to their signature on the document.

East Coast copy of the treaty

Tūranga (Gisborne) missionary William Williams had the task of persuading chiefs between East Cape and Ahuriri (Napier) to sign the treaty. Between 5 and 12 May 1840, 24 chiefs signed at his mission station. In Williams’ view, this was almost the whole leadership of the district. By early June, 41 chiefs had signed. Williams had not gained the agreement of the great chief, Te Kani-a-Takirau, whose house at Ūawa (Tolaga Bay) Williams used as a meeting place.

The East Coast copy is one of two handwritten Māori-language copies circulated by Henry Williams for signing. He carried the other himself to the Wellington region. The East Coast copy has a ruled double border and a genuine but shaky signature by Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson, who was recovering from a stroke. William Williams referred to the document as a ‘draft of [a] Treaty’, indicating that he – unlike his fellow missionaries – expected a later confirmation or ratification. However, on 25 April Hobson had stated that all signatures collected after 6 February were merely testimonials of adherence.

Follow links in this table to find out more about those who signed and the signing occasion.