Cheque issued by the Maungatautari Peeke (Bank)

A rare and valuable reminder of the Maungatautari Peeke and its role in the Kiingitanga’s pursuit of financial independence

• Maker: Maungatautari Peeke; producer; 1894 – New Zealand
• Where: Maungakawa
• When: 1905
• Materials: paper, ink
• Measurements: 200 x 80 mm
• Links: Te Paki o Matariki, PapersPast

A rare and valuable reminder of the Maungatautari Peeke and its role in the Kiingitanga’s pursuit of financial independence.

Dated Maehe 17 (17 March) 1905 this haki (cheque) is one of only three known to have survived from the Maungatautari Peeke (Bank). It was discovered by a teenager while riding in the Maungakawa hills near Cambridge and serves as a tangible reminder of King Taawhiao and the Kiingitanga’s efforts towards mana motuhake (political independence) in the late 19th century.

The Kiingitanga and the Kauhanganui

The Kiingitanga (Maaori King Movement) was founded in 1858 to unite Māori tribes and resist land loss. During the reign of the second Māori King, Taawhiao, the movement faced the upheaval of the New Zealand Wars in the 1860s, followed by the Native Land Court system, which dramatically reshaped Māori land ownership. The court’s policy of individualising land titles allowed just ten people to be named as owners of a single block of land—regardless of the actual number of communal owners. These individuals could sell land without wider consultation, leading to large-scale loss of Maaori land.

From 1891, the Kauhanganui, the Kiingitanga’s parliament, met annually at Maungakawa near Cambridge to debate matters affecting Maaori. When a new whare (meeting house) was opened in 1892, up to 5,000 people attended. The Kauhanganui had its own constitution and executive, including a “Prime Minister” and a “Minister of Paakehaa Affairs.” The movement also published its own newspaper, Te Paki O Matariki, and established various institutions—including its own bank – funded by taxes levied on Kiingitanga supporters.

The Maungatautari Peeke and Its Role

The Maungatautari Peeke was one of at least two financial institutions created by the Kiingitanga after the New Zealand Wars to manage financial affairs and land transactions. While it did not issue its own currency, it facilitated money transfers between customers with cheques like this one.

This cheque instructs Wi Pewhairangi to pay Henare Matanuku the sum of £500, which is equivalent to around $110,000 in 2025.

From the beginning, the Maungatautari Peeke faced scepticism. The Waikato Times published the first account of the bank on 12 December 1885, taking a dismissive tone that shaped later coverage. Some reports even claimed the bank was burned down by dissatisfied investors after only six months, but its actual fate remains unclear.

The Legacy of the Cheque

The cheque bears the signature “Taawhiao” though King Taawhiao died in 1894. Given Maaori monarchs sometimes adopted the names of their predecessors – King Mahuta, for example, was also known as Taawhiao—it was entirely appropriate for him or his nominee to sign using this name.

This cheque stands as a rare and valuable reminder of the Maungatautari Peeke and its role in the Kiingitanga’s pursuit of financial independence. Today, it is held at the Cambridge Museum.