Mere Kuru Te Kati of the Ngatitamatera tribe of Thames was born
about 1815. On one side she was Ngatitamatera on the other she was
partly Waikato (Tawhiao's tribe) and part Ngatitamatera.. She
married a Thames chief, but had no children. She was a very
determined woman, and in conjunction with her cousin the late Te
Hira Te Tuiri strenuously opposed the opening up of the Ohinemuri
portion of the Hauraki Gold-field. On the first sitting of the
Native Land Court at Paeroa she in company with two Maori women
flourished meres over the heads of the presiding judges, and it was
some considerable time before she could be pacified or allow the
Court to proceed. Mr James Mackay Civil Commissioner in 1868-69 had
persuaded the friendly Natives at Ohinemuri to cede their lands for
gold mining purposes, but Mere Kuru and Te Hira obstinately
declined to come to any arrangement respecting the Ohinemuri lands.
Mr Mackay temporarily left the Government service in 1869 and for
six years Governors, and Government Officers tried in vain to
soften the obduracy of the old chieftaness. Finally in February
1875 Mr Mackay was successful in procuring the assent of Mere Kuru,
Te Hira, and the Hauhau members of the Ngatitamatera tribe to allow
gold mining at Ohinemuri and it was proclaimed to be a Gold Mining
District from the 3rd March 1875. The Government
subsequently built a large house for Mere Kuru, but she leased it
to Europeans, preferring to live conservatively in the old Maori
style. She consistently adhered to the Anglican Church in which she
had been baptised, and although she adhered to the
(on margin of first page) Mere Kuru previous to the opening of
the Thames Goldfield resided near Captain Daldy's sawmill at
Waikawau (between Thames and Coromandel) but on the settlement of
the Thames she and Te Hira removed to Ohinemuri where they
continuously resided until they died.
(overleaf)
Hauhaus in their obstructive policy in the matter of sales or
leases of Maori land she never joined in their fanatical religious
ceremonies. After the opening up of Ohinemuri for gold mining
purposes the old Chieftaness ceased to take any active part in the
affairs of the tribe.
Mere Kuru Te Kati was not at all distinguished for hospitality,
or generosity being of a rather parsimonious nature. She was fond
of money but strictly honest in all land or monetary
transactions.
James Mackay
Auckland
24 Augt 1905
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