Kemp's Purchase and Ngāi Tahu Land Claims

Ever wonder about the beginnings of Christchurch? The story of how the land became available for settlement by Europeans is a complicated one, tied to something called "Kemp's Purchase." This was a massive land deal that transferred a huge amount of land from Ngāi Tahu to the Crown.

It happened in 1848 when Henry Tacy Kemp, representing the Crown, negotiated with Ngāi Tahu chiefs. The purchase covered nearly all of Ngāi Tahu's traditional lands, stretching from the Mākarora River in the north to the Kā Pūaha-o-te-Raki, or the mouth of the Waitaki River, in the south. This included vast areas of the Canterbury Plains and the West Coast.

The Crown paid 2,000 pounds for this immense territory. The agreement also set aside specific reserves for Ngāi Tahu within the purchased lands. However, the size and location of these reserves became a major point of contention later on. Many Ngāi Tahu felt that the reserves were inadequate and that the Crown had not fulfilled its promises regarding their provision.

This purchase laid the groundwork for European settlement in Canterbury, including the establishment of Christchurch. But it also started a long period of grievances and claims by Ngāi Tahu, who argued that the terms of the purchase had not been honored and that they had been dispossessed of their ancestral lands. The consequences of Kemp's Purchase continue to be felt and addressed to this day.