After arriving in Tauranga on 11 May 1840, Major Thomas Bunbury had missionary James Stack produce two copies of te Tiriti o Waitangi. One of these was this Bay of Plenty (Fedarb) Sheet, given to the 23-year old trader, James Fedarb. He was to receive compensation for each signature he gathered, although in the end he was never paid.

Fedarb left Tauranga aboard the Mercury on 22 May, sailing around the Bay of Plenty. He gathered 26 signatures during his trip, which he mixed with his own trading interests.

At Ōpotiki on 27-28 May, seven Whakatohea rangatira of Catholic and CMS affiliation signed. At their request a cross was added beside their names.

Further rangatira signed during his travels – two at Torere on 11 June (with a third added on 14 June, possibly offshore); four at Te Kaha on 14 June; and twelve at Whakatāne on 16 June. Here Ngāti Awa/ Ngāti Pukeko rangatira signed at a place near the western side of Pohaturoa.

When he arrived in the Bay of Islands on 19 June, Fedarb gave the copy to William Colenso to pass on William Hobson. No one commented that the signature on the sheet was, strictly speaking, forged. Hobson always signed as 'W Hobson' with no governor's title. However James Stack had written 'William Hobson' in his own hand when he made the copy at Tauranga.

Archives Reference: IA9/9 Sheet 6 archives.govt.nz/exhibitions/permanentexhibitions/treaty/...

You can view the names of those who signed, as well as an interactive map, at the nzhistory.net.nz ‘Making the Treaty’ page: www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/interactive/bay-of-plenty-trea... and at www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/treaty/signatories

This record is part of #Waitang175, celebrating 175 years since the signing of of te Tiriti o Waitangi. You can see other real time tweets on Twitter (twitter.com/ArchivesNZ), or explore the Waitangi 175 album here on Flickr.

Material from Archives New Zealand Caption information from New Zealand History and Claudia Orange, 'The Treaty of Waitangi'

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