Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Hauraki
iwi
were some of the first to be exposed to European traders. The region's
proximity to Auckland, safe anchorages and ready supply of valuable timber initially led
to a booming economy. Kauri logging was big business on the peninsula. Allied to the
timber trade was shipbuilding, which took off in 1832 when a mill was established at
Mercury Bay. Things got tougher once the kauri around the coast became scarce and the
loggers had to penetrate deeper into the bush for timber. Kauri dams, which used water
power to propel the huge logs to the coast, were built. By the 1930s virtually no kauri re-
mained and the industry died.
Gold was first discovered in NZ near Coromandel Town in 1852. Although this first
rush was short-lived, more gold was discovered around Thames in 1867 and later in oth-
er places. The peninsula is also rich in semiprecious gemstones, such as quartz, agate,
amethyst and jasper. A fossick on any west-coast beach can be rewarding.
Despite successful interactions with Europeans for decades, the Hauraki
iwi
were
some of the hardest hit by colonisation. Unscrupulous dealings by settlers and govern-
ment to gain access to valuable resources resulted in the Maori losing most of their lands
by the 1880s. Even today there is a much lower Maori presence on the peninsula than in
neighbouring districts.
