The protection and interpretation of archaeological sites on islands within the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park : A dissertation for the Diploma of Parks and Recreation, Lincoln College, Canterbury

Abstract

The Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park is a fully managed unit of islands or groups of islands lying off the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand between the entrance to Whangamata Harbour in the south and the northern end of Bland Bay in the North.

The majority of the islands are Nature Reserves as defined in the Reserves Act 1977 (Section 20) but those closer to the mainland are recreation, historic or scientific reserves, with varying degrees of public access.

That the ancient Maori people lived on some of these islands and used them for food gathering and cultivation, has long been recognised and intensive studies by the Auckland Institute and Museum and Auckland University (to name the most recent) have been going on for many years.

Of necessity, and I believe quite rightly, the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park Board has channelled its finances and efforts into the development and management of public recreation on those islands where public pressure is the greatest. In the future this will change and more attention will be given to the many valuable historic and archaeological aspects of the Park. This is already evident in the very successful reconstruction of Mansion House on Kawau Island (residence of a former Governor General, Sir George Grey) and the restoration work done to the mining works of the 1840's and 50's on the same island.

To date, "interpretation" in its "explanation of the natural and historic features" sense has rarely been practised and must to a great degree depend on the enthusiasm of the Board's officers to be successful in the future.

Within the park "pakeha" history is more spectacular and visible and will tend to dominate the historical interpretation activities. Maori archaeological sites, with one or two major exceptions, are mainly to be found on the remote nature reserves and are thus not accessible to people other than scientists.

My purpose in choosing the subject for this Dissertation is to outline a way to inform the public of the remote and inaccessible archaeological sites; to show how the accessible sites can be explained and to show how both may be protected against damage.