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The black maps of Waitaha Canterbury
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TitleThe black maps of Waitaha Canterbury
Description‘Black maps’ is a short-hand term for some of the earliest survey maps and plans of the Canterbury Land District.
Archives New Zealand also hold 'green' and 'red' maps of the district, from the coloured tags attached to them from an earlier categorisation system, but the original reasons behind this naming system and the way they were numbered do not survive.
According to the Ngāi Tahu Kareao website, "It appears the maps were retrospectively numbered and categorised sometime between c.1880 - c.1920, and it has been suggested the colours reflected a hierarchy among the draughtsmen and/or the location in which the maps were stored. The maps can be further categorised by their current storage method: those under A0 size are usually stored flat in map cabinets, while larger maps are stored rolled on racks or within archives boxes. The latter are also commonly referred to as 'roll plans'. The collection also includes maps known as 'Timaru Rolls' and 'Amuri Squares'."
The black maps were created in the mid 1800s, although some continued to be annotated well into the twentieth century. Importantly for Ngāi Tahu, these maps give an insight into traditional areas of mahika kai (sites chosen for food growing and gathering), kainga and kainga nohoanga (food gathering settlements). As well as carrying vital evidence of Māori place names, they also show the way water originally flowed across the region as rivers, streams, wetlands, lagoons, and estuaries before they were modified by the European settlers' need to create farmland and develop settlements, railways and roads.
The maps were originally created to record the legal purchase and sale of land parcels across Waitaha Canterbury. They were drawn from data and notes written by English surveyors in their field notebooks. They record the Church of England’s preparation for new settlers and the historical location of natural and cultural features in Canterbury. They range in size from 10 metres across to just 30cm wide.
Awareness of the maps grew from the 1980’s when Ngāi Tahu used them as evidence in their 1986 Waitangi Tribunal land claim containing a total of 73 grievances that included not only disputes over land and the Crown’s promised provisions, but also matters related to fisheries, the loss of language and the lack of recognition of Māori values. These grievances were described under nine general headings that related to the eight large regional land sales, with the ninth related to the loss of mahika kai. These were referred to as the Nine Tall Trees of Ngāi Tahu.
Kā Huru Manu, the Ngāi Tahu Cultural Mapping Project began in the mid-2000s. During this project kaumatua involved in the Waitangi Tribunal hearings wished to acquire digital copies of the ‘Black Maps’.
In 2005 Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu led a project with support from Environment Canterbury, Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), NZ Micrographics and Archives New Zealand to digitise the original paper copies to preserve the information and make them more accessible to the public. Kā Huru Manu continues to be developed by Ngāi Tahu throughout Te Wai Pounamu under the guidance of Takerei Norton, manager of the Ngāi Tahu Archives.
Description‘Black maps’ is a short-hand term for some of the earliest survey maps and plans of the Canterbury Land District. Archives New Zealand also hold 'green' and 'red' maps of the district, from the coloured tags attached to them from an earlier categorisation system, but the original reasons behind this naming system and the way they were numbered do not survive.
According to the Ngāi Tahu Kareao website, "It appears the maps were retrospectively numbered and categorised sometime between c.1880 - c.1920, and it has been suggested the colours reflected a hierarchy among the draughtsmen and/or the location in which the maps were stored. The maps can be further categorised by their current storage method: those under A0 size are usually stored flat in map cabinets, while larger maps are stored rolled on racks or within archives boxes. The latter are also commonly referred to as 'roll plans'. The collection also includes maps known as 'Timaru Rolls' and 'Amuri Squares'."
The black maps were created in the mid 1800s, although some continued to be annotated well into the twentieth century. Importantly for Ngāi Tahu, these maps give an insight into traditional areas of mahika kai (sites chosen for food growing and gathering), kainga and kainga nohoanga (food gathering settlements). As well as carrying vital evidence of Māori place names, they also show the way water originally flowed across the region as rivers, streams, wetlands, lagoons, and estuaries before they were modified by the European settlers' need to create farmland and develop settlements, railways and roads.
The maps were originally created to record the legal purchase and sale of land parcels across Waitaha Canterbury. They were drawn from data and notes written by English surveyors in their field notebooks. They record the Church of England’s preparation for new settlers and the historical location of natural and cultural features in Canterbury. They range in size from 10 metres across to just 30cm wide.
Awareness of the maps grew from the 1980’s when Ngāi Tahu used them as evidence in their 1986 Waitangi Tribunal land claim containing a total of 73 grievances that included not only disputes over land and the Crown’s promised provisions, but also matters related to fisheries, the loss of language and the lack of recognition of Māori values. These grievances were described under nine general headings that related to the eight large regional land sales, with the ninth related to the loss of mahika kai. These were referred to as the Nine Tall Trees of Ngāi Tahu.
Kā Huru Manu, the Ngāi Tahu Cultural Mapping Project began in the mid-2000s. During this project kaumatua involved in the Waitangi Tribunal hearings wished to acquire digital copies of the ‘Black Maps’.
In 2005 Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu led a project with support from Environment Canterbury, Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), NZ Micrographics and Archives New Zealand to digitise the original paper copies to preserve the information and make them more accessible to the public. Kā Huru Manu continues to be developed by Ngāi Tahu throughout Te Wai Pounamu under the guidance of Takerei Norton, manager of the Ngāi Tahu Archives.
Connections
ImageMahika Kai: Resources of the Land and WaterLoss of Ngāi Tahu mahika kai through Kemp's DeedMapMap of Canterbury and Otago reserves for Ngāi Tahu More InformationView the black maps on Canterbury Maps' websiteRead about the digitisation process at NZ MicrographicsRead about the Ngāi Tahu Cultural Mapping project Ka Huru ManuRead about Te Kerēme, the Ngāi Tahu land claimHow the black maps were described in a 1935 newspaper articleRead more about the black, red and green Canterbury maps on Kareao at Ngāi Tahu Archives
Loss of Ngāi Tahu mahika kai through Kemp's DeedMapMap of Canterbury and Otago reserves for Ngāi Tahu More InformationView the black maps on Canterbury Maps' websiteRead about the digitisation process at NZ MicrographicsRead about the Ngāi Tahu Cultural Mapping project Ka Huru ManuRead about Te Kerēme, the Ngāi Tahu land claimHow the black maps were described in a 1935 newspaper articleRead more about the black, red and green Canterbury maps on Kareao at Ngāi Tahu ArchivesAttribution
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The black maps of Waitaha Canterbury. Selwyn Stories, accessed 07/04/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/6690
