1947: Kaitaia Airport
December 17, 2024
By AHNZ
Kaitaia Airport opened on 21 January, 1947.¹
Prior to this it had been Awanui Aerodrome which was created to support the Pacific War efforts by New Zealand and US Forces. The land was purchased from a portion of a Dalmatian farmer’s land for the war effort. Millions were invested to make it a Pacific air base. After victory (1949) the Dali farmer, Tony Erstich, was paid 239 pounds and 16 shillings by the Crown. This included some compensation for wear and tear on his farm tracks. Erstich also got to lease the Crown land for nothing.
Along with land, the Erstich family also contributed fighting sons to the war effort. So, they were not victims but willing contriubtors to New Zealand at war.
Whatever improvements the US air force made were also added to. As recently as 2005 an injection of $333,850 plus $1.4 million invested into the airport for pavement and terminal facilities. And there’s more to come for this little airport.
Ah, but ownership of the airport has been complicated in this case. Like many Dalmatian immigrants this one married a Maori woman. As such, Maoris have been trying, sometimes violently, to get the land back for free since about 1982.
In December 2024 they succeeded at last.
“where the aerodrome is now, no-one lived there because it was pretty barren and rugged…wasn’t good for gardening because it was all clay pan and sandstone.” – George Erstich, BRIEF OF EVIDENCE OF YVONNE PURIRI (2012,) Affidavit of Prof Margaret Mutu, Exhibit F, Waitangi Tribunal (2016)
“..the Far North District Council gave the family the right to lease it. They wrote to him and said, “Put a price per acre on it to lease”. Uncle George’s response was that it was our land originally so why should we pay to lease it back. The Council went away and 3 days later Uncle George received a letter saying that he could lease it for nothing as long as he fenced it. According to Uncle George “So that’s what | did and I’ve been using it ever since”.” – ibid
“…two different cultures that are 20,000 kilometres apart but have been taught the same family values and they stick together and they’re life and they know how to relax and take time out. You know, all the values are there.” – Vanja Canzek-Gizdich, Here To Stay (2007)
“A protest group, which blocked a Northland country road on Monday, saying that it passed through Maori land, lifted its barricades shortly before the police arrived. Renata also said his group planned to “take” Kaitaia Airport, which was “owned by one of them,” he said. “We will take back Crown Land from the Lands and Survey Department and the Maori Affairs,” he said. “We are prepared to die.”” – PA, Press (11 August, 1982,) Papers Past
“In fact, number of the women had several kids to different boys. So they were, yeah, they were really hard workers. They were good with the Gumspear and they obviously were good with other apparatus as well.” – Shane Jones, Here To Stay (2007)
“Ante (Tony) Erstich was born in the village of Vrgorac 1880. He came to NZ around 1900. On arrival he came to the Far North Gumfields and began digging at Lake Ohia. From there he went to Sweetwater. Gum digging was his occupation for 30 years. At Sweetwater he married Kataraina Matenga and they went on to have a family of six children” – Pioneer Dalmatian Settlers of the Far North, Facebook (2015)
“Ngāti Kahu chairwoman Margaret Mutu has previously said the land belonged to the Erstich whānau, specifically the descendants of Kataraina Matenga, of Patukoraha hapū, who married Ante Erstich. The land was taken from Matenga, via her husband, for military purposes during World War II on the promise that it would be returned. Some land was also taken from the neighbouring hapū, Ngai Tohianga, Mutu said. It was taken using the Public Works Act, which required such land to be offered back to those it was taken from when it was no longer used for the original purpose.” – RNZ (2023)
“Dozens of demonstrators who are occupying Kaitaia Airport tonight say they’ll stay for as long as it takes. The group, led by Hone Harawira’s nephews, is protesting a Treaty land settlement signing in Parliament tomorrow. Helen Castles is at Kaitaia Airport where the protestors have disrupted most of today’s flights. The protesters are having some kai, getting ready to hunker down for a cold night in Kaitaia. Some have gone home for the night, but many will stay in the terminal, in their cars and caravans. The first scheduled flight out of Kaitaia Airport is at 7 o’clock tomorrow morning. There are three flights a day.” – One News (8/9/2015)
“The Fire Service extinguished three small fires at the entrance to the airport before the arrests were made. Flights to and from the airport were cancelled after the protest group set up camp on the land, which they claimed was rightfully theirs, at 11am on Tuesday.” – PA (Sep 2015)
“Members of Ngati Kahu protested in full force as they made their way to the Kaitaia District Court. This veteran and member of the 28th Maori Battalion lead the march. Which caused traffic to come to a stand still. Six protesters are defending charges of trespass after occupying Kaitaia Airport last September, forcing staff from the terminal and setting tyres on fire…Two of the six protesters refused to stand” – Te Karere (31/10/2016)
“A group who occupied the Kaitaia airport last year are in court today facing charges of trespass…the occupiers want to whole site handed over to their iwi rather than be shared with neighbours Ngai Takoto…Lawyer Annette Sykes says there’s a clear defence.” – Waatea News (2016)
“The agreement would see Ngāi Takoto buy the airport land from the Crown…ownership would be split 50-50 split between Ngāi Takoto and three hapū of Ngāti Kahu, another Far North iwi, with connections to the land. The Crown would then reimburse Ngāi Takoto for the purchase, while in exchange the council would be given a free lease on the land to continue operating the airport.” – RNZ (2023)
“On 13 June 2005, Kaitaia Airport received an injection of $333,850 to upgrade its runway facilities..During the project, $1.4 million invested into the airport was to provide larger hardstand areas and better terminal facilities.” – Wiki
“Government and council will fund $5.4 million for maintenance and upgrades, ensuring long-term operation… Far North District Council (to take effect once title transfers); and the Government contracting $5.4 million with the council for maintenance and upgrade work… The council will pay the landowners $80,000 excluding GST each year for the lease… This will be topped up with another $2.4m from the council…” – NZ Herald (17/12/2024)
So, we have this remarkable situation where a Dalmatian Kiwi (right) managed to sell off some of his “barren and rugged” bit of surplus land to the Crown for a nice return. Money in the bank and free lease. Full and final settlement. Crown obligations discharged.
Then, after some vigilante action and some big pay days for lawyers, the Crown paid all over again! This time instead of a few hundred pounds for some crusty old gum swamp it’s millions of dollars in capital value and cash.
In the 1940s it could not have been imagined that the deal could be flipped this way. Nor that the children of a Dalmation would have special property rights by being part-Maori to get the old man’s sold property given back to them with major value-added. It’s a little bit crazy and of dubious public interest to the taxpayer. However, it is in the interests of the recipients, lawyers, and the politicians involved to shuffle your taxpayer money around between one another so away we go!
The Kaiata job reminds me of how the descendents of a naturalised Singaporean Kiwi, Frank Fowler were able to essentially claim the Chatham Islands because his grand daughter married The Last Moriori.
(Starts to make you wonder if there was anything your grandparents onced owned that the government bought which you might like to have “returned.” Preferably with some major infrastructure added to it that you and lease out and retire off.)
New Zealand history suffers very greatly because it’s bent all over the place to facilitate these political schemes and scams in the property market. The idea of identity fluidity has been very helpful to those who wish to identify as people who ought to be paid a lot of stolen money.
—
1 Northern Advocate (1947,) Papers Past
Image ref. “Return of Ohinu whenua,” Tama Potaka and 4 others at Te Rangi Aniwaniwa, Kaitaia. Huhana Melanie Lyndon, Meta (2024)
Image ref. Ante (Tony) Erstich and wife Kataraina Matenga, Pioneer Dalmatian Settlers of the Far North, Facebook (2015)
Like Comment Share
