Story: Waikato region

Confiscation of Māori land

Confiscation of Māori land

After the Waikato war, Māori-owned land in west Waikato was confiscated. Most of the Māori population withdrew behind the ‘aukati’ or boundary line of the Pūniu River, in what became known as the King Country (because the Māori King had taken refuge there). This map shows the boundaries of the land confiscated by proclamation of Governor George Grey in December 1864. That year soldier settlers moved into abandoned Māori villages, former military posts and new militia towns which were established to guard the frontier.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Nancy Swarbrick, 'Waikato region - Pākehā impact', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/map/27791/confiscation-of-maori-land (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, updated 1 Jul 2015