File:Waitangi Sheet, Te Tiriti o Waitangi (15858996150).jpg

This is the Waitangi Sheet of te Tiriti o Waitangi, signed at various places around Aotearoa New Zealand in 1840. The document itself was drawn up on the night of 5 February by Richard Taylor, who was given the rough notes used at the Waitangi hui by Henry Williams.

Although this sheet is the most known, te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi is not a single large sheet of paper but a group of nine documents: seven on paper and two on parchment. Together they represent an agreement drawn up between representatives of the British Crown on the one hand and representatives of Māori iwi and hapū on the other.

It is difficult to be certain from the marks and signatures on the parchment how many signed the sheet at Waitangi. However it is believed approximately 42 to 45 rangatira signed on 6 February, including three women: Takurua, Te Marama, and Ana Hamu. At least eleven chiefs signed with their names, the others with marks beside an identifying phrase, for example, "Te tohu o Hori Kingi Warerahi" (the mark of Hori Kingi Te Wharerahi).

Further chiefs signed on 9 February at Te Waimate. Many of the Hokianga chiefs signed with simple crosses at Hokianga on 12 February, and a further column was added to the original three at this time. By 17 February, when the mark of Pōmare were inserted above the name of Hōne Heke (the first chief to sign), the sheet was already becoming cluttered. Confusion continued when other batches of signatures and marks were gathered at Waitematā on 4 March. At this point there was no further space and Captain Joseph Nias of the HMS Herald and the Colonial Treasurer, George Cooper, had a second sheet of parchment added at the bottom (you can see where the two sheets were stitched together between the seals). This sheet was subsequently used to gather signatures at Kaitaia, Auckland (Tāmaki) and Russell. Although this complex situation makes it difficult to be sure exactly how many chiefs signed this sheet, it is usually estimated at about 240.

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/waitangi-treaty-copy and thier page on Tiriti signings: www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/treaty/location/waitangi/6-...

Archives Reference: IA9/9 Sheet 1 archives.govt.nz/exhibitions/permanentexhibitions/treaty/...

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 supplied by Archives New Zealand