On October 30, 1838, the Church Mission Society purchased and paid for 30 acres from local 17 rangatira. Then five months later on March 30, 1839, Rev A. N. Brown purchased the remainder of the Tauranga peninsula as far as Pukehinahina Hill, which is known to history as Gate Pa.

Te Papa No 2 Block Deed of Sale stated: 'Know all men by this deed that we rangatira of Tauranga do let go and sell to the Rev. A.N. Brown on behalf of the Church Miss'y Society, and their heirs and assigns for ever, the land belongs to our fathers and us also”.

Payment was one calf, 40 adzes, 60 large blankets, 40 shirts, 40 trousers, 12 spades, 100 pipes, and 100 pound of tobacco, 24 scissors, 24 razors, 24 plane irons and 100 fishhooks.

The document was inscribed by the signs or tokens of 28 rangatira of the Ngai Te Rangi tribe and witnessed by James Stack. Missionary Richard Taylor, who was present, wrote: 'The chief who received the property divided it into about 50 shares, almost everyone in the tribe having a greater or lesser claim, so that he had scarcely anything for himself”.

Now, 183 years later, Maori are claiming the land was land banked for them. Even more ridiculous is that the Tauranga City Council is considering giving ratepayers' assets back as compensation based on false information.

But since 11 Mission St was transferred from the city to a Maori Trust, also on false information and myths, they believe they have established a precedent. That central Tauranga land was bought and paid for; therefore, the city and Commissioners have no grounds whatsoever for giving it away.

Jim Sherlock, Parkvale.