The New Zealand Company (NZC) was a private company formed in Britain and supported by the British Government. It dispatched an expedition in 1841 to establish its second New Zealand settlement that was to be named Nelson.

A key component of the NZC colonisation scheme was the obligation to  reserve one-tenth of all land purchased for the future prosperity of the Māori owners.  This land would be known as ‘Tenths Reserves’.  The NZC also undertook to protect all Māori occupation lands, urupā (burial plots) and wāhi tapu (sites of cultural significance) from European settlement. 

Allocation of Tenths Reserves

The full one-tenth of land was never reserved in Nelson as agreed.  Nor were Māori occupation lands, urupā (burial plots) and waahi tapu (sites of cultural significance) protected.  Although some land was selected as ‘Tenths’ in Nelson and Motueka, this fell short of the agreed area.  Furthermore, occupation lands in Motueka were included in the Tenths, when they should have been excluded from the New Zealand Company’s scheme.  When those occupation lands in Motueka were finally excluded, the Tenths estate was not compensated for the loss to the Tenths estate. 

The Rural Tenths were never allocated, despite being identified by the Crown, leaving the Tenths Reserves estate short by 10,000 acres.  Despite a large Māori population at Motueka and a number of important pā in the surrounding area, no Māori habitations, cultivations or special places were exempted from the surveys as Occupation Reserves, urupā (burial plots) and waahi tapu (sites of cultural significance).

Eventually 1,700 acres of Tenths Reserves at Motueka and Mārahau were re-designated as Occupation Reserves to provide habitations and cultivations for resident Māori.

Given, then taken away

Forty-seven acres were taken for the remodeling of Nelson town in 1847, 429 acres were taken in 1853 for an Anglican school at Motueka, 85 acres were lost to public works, streets and roads, and 1,145 acres were sold by the Māori Trustee when a 1967 Act allowed lessees to freehold. This left fewer than 2,000 acres of the 15,100 acres of Tenths Reserves agreed to by the New Zealand Company.

Further alienation

New Zealand governments in the 1880s and 1890s enacted legislation allowing lessees rights of perpetual renewal and 21-year rent reviews. This further alienated the Tenths from their owners and severely restricted the income it produced. 

Until 1897 Government-appointed administrators used income from the Tenths in whatever manner they believed to “benefit” the owners and their offspring.  There was no consultation with the Māori owners. 

From the 1890s until 1956 a partial distribution of income from the Tenths was made to those individuals and families who were identified as the owners of the Nelson Settlement district.  The Native Land Court identified those owners in its judgment of 1892/1893, which recorded the names of all of those rangatira (cheifs) and their families who lived in the Nelson Settlement district in the 1840s who had the authority to agree to the New Zealand Company proposal to settle the area. 

Return to Māori control

After many years of protest and debate lead by the Māori owners, legislation was passed in 1975 enabling Māori incorporation's or trusts to be formed to administer their own reserves. Wakatū was established in 1977 by the descendants of the original owners of the Tenths Reserves.  At that time, the Crown handed back control of approximately 1,393.72 hectares of land.  This was the remnants of the Tenths Reserves and occupation sites.  But, generations of oppressive legislation meant the return on assets was minimal. 

Growing our assets 

Wakatū was determined to bring about change. Together with other organisations and individuals, Wakatū lobbied against the unfair lease regime. New legislation enacted in 1998 allowed Māori to finally set market rents for our own land.

Since 1977 Wakatū has grown our estate from $11 million to $250 million today.  Wakatū has worked hard to develop dynamic Māori businesses, with over 300 staff and in excess of 3,000 owners.

“It is difficult for me to explain my own emotions and those of our people who were present when the Māori Trustee handed me the deeds and titles of our lands. After years of frustration we have moved closer towards achieving that which we all want – the complete control of our lands.”  Wakatū Incorporation’s first chairman, Kahu Kōtua, opening the 1978 annual report.

Historic plans

Included here please find the original plans for the European settlement of Nelson in the 1840s, including land set aside as Tenths Reserves. Read more