Watch the film here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCBApzoPTas&t=6m56s

William Hobson had planned for the signings of te Tiriti o Waitangi to take place on 7 February, but they were gathered at a hui on 6 February instead. This was lucky for Hobson, as 7 February was extremely wet – so torrential was the rain that no one could leave the HMS Herald. William Colenso did not think a hui could have been held in such conditions and, if it had been necessary to wait until 8 February to resume proceedings, many of the rangatira (chiefs) would have given up and returned home.

Because of the weather, the 21-gun salute Hobson had requested was delayed until 8 February. Captain Nias of the HMS Herald wrote that the salute was fired at 1 pm ‘to commemorate the cession to Her Majesty of the rights of sovereignty of New Zealand’. However further signings would take place over a period of six months, gathering the signatures of around 540 rangatira.

‘HE IWI TAHI TATOU.... WAITANGI DAY’ is a National Film Unit production, created in 1960. It shows Royal New Zealand Navy ships and vessels from England and Australia carrying out exercises at the Bay of Islands, and taking part in ceremonies commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Watch the film here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCBApzoPTas&t=6m56s

Archives Reference: AAPG W3471 Box 517/ 1082 archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=7508840

This record is part of #Waitangi175, 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 supplied by Archives New Zealand