A newspaper report of 17 June 1872 alludes to some of the difficulties that hampered construction of telegraph lines in the region. Following the wars of the 1860s, many Māori strongly objected to the construction of roads, railways and telegraph lines across their land, as they believed this would encourage the spread of Pākehā settlement. It was necessary, therefore, for the chief Taipari to obtain the agreement of hapū living along the proposed telegraph route. After a number of delays the Hikutaiā–Whangamatā line was completed in July. However, by 1890 other telegraph lines had been erected in the region, and the Hikutaiā–Whangamatā telegraph soon fell into disuse.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
National Library of New Zealand, Papers Past
Reference:
Daily Southern Cross, 17 June 1872, p.2
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