Manukau, 20 March 1840

The three main rangatira (chiefs) of Ngāti Whātua were the first to sign the Manukau-Kāwhia treaty sheet on 20 March 1840. W. C. Symonds, an officer of the British army who had, earlier in March, been appointed by Governor William Hobson as police magistrate, was dispatched to collect signatures in the Manukau region. Symonds travelled with Felton Mathew, acting surveyor general, who did not officially witness the signatures on the treaty. Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS) missionary James Hamlin, who lived at Ōrua Bay on the Manukau Harbour, acted as a translator on 20 March, and witnessed the signatures with Symonds.

Two meetings were conducted at this location in March. The date and exact place of the first meeting was unrecorded, but it was recorded that it was called at short notice and the proposal of the British government was explained. Rewa, of Ngāpuhi, who had reluctantly signed the Waitangi treaty sheet on 6 February, had been dropped off in Manukau after the Waitangi meeting by the Catholic Bishop Pompallier. Rewa exerted all of his influence over the Manukau rangatira to not sign the treaty, so much so that Symonds was only able to argue against Rewa’s interpretation of the treaty at this meeting and no signatures were received.

The second meeting occurred on 20 March. Te Wherowhero, an important rangatira of Waikato who later became the first Māori king, was present along with more rangatira from Taranaki, Tauranga and Taupō. While he was not interested in signing the treaty, he (fortunately for Symonds) did not exercise his power of veto against the treaty and three Ngāti Whātua rangatira signed. Some of the others present stated that they would sign at a later date. Symonds reported that Te Wherowhero and many others were unwilling to sign on 20 March because they ‘had yet to overcome a feeling of pique at having been left among the last who concurrence in the treaty had been demanded’. [1]

Symonds had received his orders from Hobson to collect signatures from Ngāti Whātua rangatira on 28 February, but it was not until 13 March that Symonds received the Manukau-Kāwhia treaty sheet and a letter of instructions from Colonial Secretary Willoughby Shortland. The delay was due to Hobson having a stroke on 1 March. On 3 April, with no further signatures forthcoming, Symonds and Mathew travelled down the Awaroa River to the Reverend Robert Maunsell’s CMS station at Waikato Heads.

Signatories

Signature Number	Signed as	Probable Name	Tribe	Hapū
1	Te Kawau	Āpihai Te Kawau	Ngāti Whātua	Te Taoū, Ngā Oho
2	Te Tinana	Ihikiera Te Tinana	Ngāti Whātua	Te Taoū
3	Te Reweti	Rēweti Tamahiki	Ngāti Whātua	Ngā Oho