1951: Purau Bay Maori Reserve
January 30, 2025
By AHNZ
On 14 June, 1951, what is known as the Maori Reserve at Purau Bay, Banks Peninsula, was “created and vested in the Crown for Public Purposes.” These were the long-held wishes of the family who owned the land and now it was official. Christine Gardiner, farmer’s wife, had purchased this land in 1914 and desired a section with a Maori cemetery not to be private land but public. At last, it seemed, the land had been “given back” but as it turns out this was not the first time nor even the last time that this had happened!
Of course the local Maori tribesmen started off as owning the land in the first place, having acquired it by conquest. Ref. 1700: The First Christchurch Gondola, AHNZ
They decided to part with it, selling it to the French. Captain Jean-François Langlois acquired Banks Peninsula and the Maoris were for the first time. When the English came to try to buy it again the Maoris refused. They were determined to stick to the deal they had done. “There was a little bit more wrangling but even as late as 1848 it was recognised by Kemp’s Deed that Banks Peninsula belonged to the French. Hobson’s agents tried to purchase Banks Peninsula but the Maoris, Ngai Tahu, were adamant they had sold all of this to the French.” – 1840: Akaroa, AHNZ
After getting rid of the French, the new Crown Colony of New Zealand simply gave the land back to the tribe so that it could be bought again. Maoris selling the same land twice, more more, is far from uncommon. This took about a decade because the French were quite dug in with their own colony including a governor and military base. The Crown asserted that the earlier purchase was invalid and with the Port Cooper Deed (1849) the sale was repeated. Double pay-out.
In the late 1860s a renegotiation occured. There had been some quibbling about which subtribe had better land and conditions being met and it was decided to settling things once and for all. The area we know as Purau Bay Maori Reserve was, once again, given for free to the Maori tribesmen.
Fast-forward to 1913 and these Maori willed the “sacred” land to some other individuals who were also Maori but “of no whanau relationship” according to the Christchurch City Council report.
In 1914 the Sacred Urupa was parted with a 4th time, this time in a private sale to the above mentioned Gardiner. This family had lived in the bay since about 1874 when Henry Gardiner purchased Purau Station Homestead (est. 1853) and still do so to this day. Ref. DISCO
Because the Gardiner family cared about their territory and looked out for the local Maoris they insisted on preserving the graveyard. After decades of effort they succeeded in, once again, giving back the burial grounds. They became Purau Bay Maori Reserve in 1951. A public place in trust for all New Zealanders. And this is how local white woman, Sarah Pritchett, thanked the family: “This is an example of a deliberate government policy to acquire Māori land for the benefit of Pākehā settlers. It is no accident that the Pūrau Māori Reserve ended up being owned by private non-Māori owners.” Ref. Sacred urupā in Canterbury to be handed back to local iwi, RNZ (2025)
Mishele Radford, chairperson of the tribesmen receiving the gift of land could afford to be a bit more gracious than that: “I admire the courage of this community board to listen to the voices and let this process happen,” Ref. ‘Courageous’: Council agrees to return burial ground to Banks Peninsula hapū, Press (2025)
However the Maoris are not content with the public cemetery being gifted back. After much expense and meetings the gift is to be re-framed so that the land will, once again, belong to the local tribespeople. “An urupā (cemetery) in Canterbury’s Banks Peninsula will be handed back to local iwi following more than a century of talks between hapū and local authorities.” say Radio New Zealand. “Board members voted on Monday unanimously to transfer Pūrau Reserve on Banks Peninsula to Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke, with each saying it was simply “the right thing to do”.” reports the Press.
So Maoris have freely given up this bit of land 4 times now and been paid for it 3 times. They have had it given to them for free 3 or 4 times in order to be able to sell it again.
We all have ancestors buried in a cemetery somewhere. Do we demand, for this reason, to be made the private owner of the cemetery? Hell of a thing. Only government makes it possible.
As of 2025 we are at the part of this cycle where the “Sacred urupā” has, once again, been given back to the Maoris. If they really want it may I suggest they stop selling it this time around?
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Image ref. Camp Bay Road, Purau, Banks Peninsula. Bayleys real estate
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