The scale and nature of the evictions, in which police demolished the protest groups gardens and makeshift buildings, helped alert New Zealanders to the land claims of Mori around the country. Within a century, this too was compulsorily acquired by the Crown (apart from a cemetery). The land had been gradually reduced in size by compulsory acquisition, leaving the Ngti Whtua ki rkei tribal group holding less than 1 ha. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to travel to New Zealand in 1642. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. [14] The occupiers constructed a marae and housing, and grew crops. Local Mori were certain they would be priced out, despite Fletchers assurances that a number of homes would be reserved. Takaparawhau / Bastion Point is a coastal piece of land in rkei, Auckland, New Zealand, overlooking the Waitemat Harbour. Bastion Point was Mori ancestral land belonging to the Ngti Whtua iwi (tribe), but the New Zealand government began confiscating it in the mid-19th century. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". That information has been updated. New Zealand's central bank has raised its benchmark interest rate by a half-point to 4.75% as it continues trying to wrestle down inflation Show More Summary Read a brief summary of this topic Wellington Harbour New Zealand, Mori Aotearoa, island country in the South Pacific Ocean, the southwesternmost part of Polynesia. Treaties arent meant to be settled. Most Mori believe that sovereignty was never ceded to the crown. the Crown These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. And Jackson believes constitutional change is already in motion. To request a copy of the recording, contact Sound Archives Ng . Joe Hawke, members of his hap Ngti Whtua rkei, and other activists, formed the Orakei Mori Action Committee, taking direct action to stop the subdivision. The Bastion Point occupation became one of the most famous protest actions in New Zealand history. [14] In 1886, the Crown used the Public Works Act 1882 (46 Vict No 37) to take ownership of 13 acres (5.3ha) of Bastion Point for this purpose of defence. New Zealand is unique among former British colonies as it has a treaty, signed in 1840 between the Maori chiefs through New Zealand, and the Crown. What was the impact of the 1977 Bastion Point occupation? Joe Hawke (pictured here on the left) led the occupation of Bastion Point. Today is a celebration of the courage of those men and women who held out for over 500 days until they were forcibly removed. The concern was, This is an important right because it will enfranchise women or be more representative, more democratic and so on. The area also has a wide range of eateries. [1] Takaparawhau is now the site of the private rkei Marae, the public Michael Joseph Savage Memorial, and privately-owned reserve land that is accessible to the public. Watch Bastion Point: the untold story (1999), from NZ On Screen: Why was there a protest at Bastion Point? Five hundred and six days later, police and army arrived en masse to remove them. But at least they didnt resile from some obligation to try and work things through.. As Ranganui Walker states, this is by no means a simple case of willful dispossession: "In a long running battle to resist the state and save the land, there were eight actions in the Maori Land Court, four in the Supreme Court, two in the Court of Appeal, two in the Compensation Court, six appearances before Commissions or Committees of Inquiry, and fifteen Parliamentary Petitions. The subjects covered everything from very specific local problems to There are landscaped gardens, lawns, dense natural vegetation and several monuments including the historical monuments that travellers can explore. . But this woman was Jacinda Ardern, New Zealands prime minister, and the one who had decided on expert advice to go hard and go early, mandating one of the worlds earliest and toughest bans on international and internal travel and locking down her country for roughly a month from midnight on 25 March. In the 1975 hkoi (stepping out), protesters marched from Northland to Wellington to ask the government to halt further losses of Mori land. Bastion Point was originally a Mori fishing village of the Ngti Whtua iwi that was surrounded by rich farming land. There is no snowfall but the chills are occasionally accompanied by rainfall which might make exploring Bastion Point a little too difficult. It began on 5 January 1977, and ended on 25 May 1978 (the 507th day), when 222 protesters were evicted and arrested by police. Read more. Mori culture declined, especially amid forced assimilation (the process in which groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed into the dominant culture of a society). As a result of this Ngati Whatua has built a strong relationship with Auckland City over the last 20 years, and they have been given shared responsibility for public spaces within their area. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Several tour buses often make a pitstop at the harbour for it provides a great view of the river. Bastion Point was one part of the 700-acre Orkei Blocka site of protest since 1898 when the newly established Native Land Court divided the bulk of the block into individual title, effectively ending communal ownership for the hap. In January 1977 members of the Ngti Whtua iwi peacefully occupied the land in protest. [2] Bastion Point became the common Pkeh name for the site encompassing both points. A justification for this eviction was health and sanitation issues, for which the government was ultimately responsible. Auckland and Christchurch are in the top 20, despite Christchurchs decade of devastating earthquakes and the attack that took 51 lives last year. rkei Local Board, Auckland Council. Subscribe to our free newsletter for news and prizes. Why We Are What We Are is a BBC Travel series examining the characteristics of a country and investigating whether they are true. It can be a messy business putting a toddler to bed.. Area of coastal land in Auckland, New Zealand. Ten years later the Waitangi Tribunal supported Mori claims to the land, and the government accepted this finding. Its charming surroundings draw a considerable number of visitors each year. The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 by the British Crown and many Mori chiefs, was meant to be a partnership between Mori and the Crown. Evening everyone, thought I would jump online and just check in with everyone as we all prepare to hunker down for a few weeks, said the New Zealand woman via Facebook Live as the country prepared for its month-long Covid-19 shutdown. With no ability to reclaim the land through the channels of the tribunal, the owners at Ihumtao began an occupation in the tradition of those at Whaingaroa, on the west coast, and Bastion Point in Auckland. Looking north east along kahu Bay towards Takaparawhau, showing the sewer line in course of construction, 1910. But we do have everyday and often casual racism around the country and youd be naive if you dont think it's there.. 2 What were the causes of the Bastion Point occupation? Over time, through negotiations and a successful treaty claim, Bastion Point was returned to Ngti Whtua. Ten years later, the Waitangi Tribunal supported Maori claims to the land, a decision that. A reversal of this government position came with the Validation Of Invalid Land Sales Act 1894. This documentary examines the rich and tragic history of Bastion Point/Takaparawhau including how questionable methods were used to gradually . Bastion Point overlooks Waitemat Harbour in the northwestern part of the North Island. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The tomb is inscribed: Michael Joseph Savage, 18721940, He loved his fellow men. However this came at the cost of $200,000. Britannica does not review the converted text. [23], In 1988 the New Zealand Labour Government returned Takaparawhau / Bastion Point and rkei Marae to Ngti Whtua rkei, with compensation, as part of a Treaty of Waitangi settlement process. The area is significant in New Zealand history as the site of protests by Mori against forced land alienation by pkeh (European settlers) in the late 1970s. The march was to cover 700 miles in 30 days and marchers would stop overnight at 25 different maraes. The Bastion Point protest had a significant impact on the Maori community as it showed Maori that many New Zealanders were concerned with their land grievances, and paved the way for Maori tribes to deal with their land grievances in a way that was fair and just. Ngti Whtua sought British protection from Ngpuhi as well as a reciprocal relationship with the Crown and the Church. What happened to Bastion Point/Takaparawhau. It built on the actions of Dame Whina Cooper who had earlier led the hikoi over land in 1975. The land was occupied by Ngti Whtua, and before the colonisation of New Zealand it was part of important lands for the iwi (tribe), overlooking rich fishing and farming areas. However, the Europeans brought guns, disease, and Western agricultural methods, all of which threatened Mori culture and social structure. It began on 5 January 1977, and ended on 25 May 1978 (the 507th day), when 222 protesters were evicted and arrested by police. The crown doesnt do things unless there is pressure, says Jackson. 1 July 1988 Bastion Point land returned The government announced that it had agreed to the Waitangi Tribunals recommendation that Takaparawh (Bastion Point) on the southern shore of Aucklands Waitemat Harbour be returned to local iwi Ngti Whtua. But occupations though participants call themselves protectors rather than protesters or occupiers similar to that in Ihumtao have increasingly cropped up across New Zealand, in Pukeihua, Mount Crawford, Waiheke Island and Shelly Bay in Wellington. At the same time the village at kahu Bay was not connected to the city's fresh water supply. The best time to visit Bastion Point is during the summer season which begins in the month of December and lasts till February. This led to the occupation of Bastion Point. One of their causes was the return of their land and payment for the governments past injustices. Why was Bastion Point important to New Zealand? Pania Newton, a recent law graduate, moved into a caravan on the site in November 2016, determined to stop the planned development. The incensed rkei Mori met Savage on his return from overseas, and he immediately reversed the decision, avoiding what could have been a political crisis. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. In the end the state prevailed. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. On May the 25th 1978, police and army evicted 222 people from the waterfront reserve after a 506 day . Over 40 years later, just over a week ago, Joe Hawke's daughter, Sharon, told a crowd on Bastion Point that the late great Denis Hansen had derided Eddie. The occupation became a major landmark in the history of Mori protest and helped to open Pkeh eyes to the country's history of injustice. (This was the last 60 acres (24.3ha) of uncommitted land at rkei that Ngti Whtua rkei still hoped to get back. The area is significant in New Zealand history as the site of protests in the late 1970s by Mori against forced land alienation by Pkeh (European settlers). New Zealands government realized that the coastal land was important for the growth of Auckland and began confiscating it for public use in the mid-1800s. When did the Maori get Bastion Point back? Plan your trip with experts and get best offers. If you look at the right of women to vote, in the 1890s, no-one was saying, We want to be the first, said Professor Paul Moon, respected historian and social commentator. Crucially, they felt entitled to self-government and that everyone should be equal under the law in their proposed fair, equal and honest society. [5], On 20 March 1840 in the Manukau Harbour area where Ngti Whtua farmed, paramount chief Apihai Te Kawau signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It was misleading for the government to be pushing for it to be purchased using housing money, when clearly it could be purchased using a heritage fund, or the conservation fund, but they wanted to make it look as though there were still going to be houses on that land.. This skill has become part of the national psyche, known as the No8 wire mentality after isolated farmers ability to use a length of fence wire to fix any misbehaving machine. Opposition MPs also raised concerns that the use of the housing fund was inappropriate given that there is no guarantee housing will be built on the land. Its charming surroundings draw a considerable number of visitors each year. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The 1977 -1978 Bastion Point protest had a significant impact on New Zealand society and many New Zealanders, the protest mainly had a significant impact on the Maori community and would be a catalyst for a number of changes in government policy in regard to the return of Maori land. Ngti Whtua rkei, who own most of the land again, call it Takaparawhau, which, along with kahu Bay, form Whenua Rangatira, which is vested in Ngti Whtua rkei for the common use and benefit of Ngti Whtua rkei and citizens of Auckland, and is managed by the Ngti Whtua rkei Reserves Board. Unlike other British colonies, the islands were not conquered, but founded on a treaty between Mori and the Crown: the 1840 Te Tiriti o Waitangi / Treaty of Waitangi. Fletchers Building planned to construct 500 houses on the land after buying it in 2016. Read about our approach to external linking. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Tourists often visit via hop-on and hop-off buses. If there were ever a time to close the gap between groups of people across New Zealand in different positions, it is now, Ardern said. If you are visiting New Zealand on February 6th, youll be part of Waitangi Day, our national holiday. These issues were created by the city council earlier when a sewer line and road were built along the foreshore which blocked the flow of storm water, creating the quagmire of sanitation problems. The Anglican and Catholic churches were spared from destruction on Hekes orders. Its proximity andtales of the past make it a great picnic spot for the locals. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Its not a constitution (New Zealand doesnt have a written document); rather, it was an arrangement to ensure the safety of settlers and, many would say, a fig leaf to lay claim to land and resources for Pkeh the term for non-Mori, English-speaking arrivals. One of their causes was the return of their land and payment for the governments past injustices. The top places near to Bastion point are Auckland which is 5 km from Bastion point, Hunua ranges which is located 34 km from Bastion point, Gisborne which is located 346 km from Bastion point, Rotorua which is located 191 km from Bastion point, Tauranga which is located 151 km from Bastion point, Ask a question from the travellers who have. 1951 - Anzus Pacific security treaty. Accessible across all of today's devices: phones, tablets, and desktops. [ 2 ] Bastion Point is a BBC Travel series examining the of. Is a BBC Travel series examining the characteristics of a country and investigating whether they are true ( 1999,... 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