Geoff Parker: Bastion Point - The Untold Context

Public discussion of Bastion Point is often framed as a simple morality tale: an unjust Crown taking followed decades later by righteous protest and inevitable redress. History is rarely that neat. When the full record is examined, Bastion Point looks less like a story of continuous bad faith and more like a sequence of decisions made — sometimes bluntly, sometimes imperfectly — but largely in good faith, according to the laws and public expectations of their time.

Compensation and the 1886 taking

In 1886, the Crown acquired 5.3 hectares (about 13 acres) at Bastion Point under the Public Works Act for defence purposes. As the law required, compensation was paid: £1,500 in New Zealand pounds.

Adjusted for inflation, that equates to roughly NZ$570,000 today. Spread across 5.3 hectares, this represents a value around twice the modern equivalent of undeveloped farmland, commonly estimated at about $35,000 per hectare.

In 1886, Bastion Point had no residential or commercial market. Its only realistic private use was agricultural grazing, making farmland the appropriate benchmark. By that standard, the Crown paid more than the land’s undeveloped value. The Public Works Act required fair market compensation — not later restitution — and on that measure the Crown met, and arguably exceeded, its obligation.

Public works, purchases, and restraint

As Auckland grew, further public works followed. In 1908, Parliament authorised land to be taken to lay a sewer line across part of the Ōkahu papakāinga (village) area. This did not involve the Bastion Point cliff-top defence land, but reflected the routine infrastructure needs of a developing city.

Between 1912 and 1928, the government acquired other parcels around the wider Ōrākei block through lawful mechanisms, including purchases from individual owners after titles were made alienable. Over time, these lands became what were later described as long-held Crown lands.

By 1941, Bastion Point was no longer required for defence. Rather than selling it to private interests, the Crown transferred the land to Auckland City Council to be held as a public reserve, preserving public access and preventing private speculation for decades.

Compulsory relocation, rehousing, and silence

In 1952, the remaining Ōkahu Bay village and marae were removed following a compulsory relocation, with residents rehoused by the state before the village was cleared and converted into a public park By modern standards this was harsh, but it reflected mid‑20th‑century planning priorities rather than an intent to dispossess without provision.

For roughly three decades after 1941, Ngāti Whātua raised no sustained objection focused on Bastion Point. This does not prove satisfaction, but it does matter when assessing how and when the dispute crystallised. There was no prolonged protest or legal challenge centred on the land during this period.

The post‑1975 shift

That changed after the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975, which established the Waitangi Tribunal. The Act fundamentally altered the political environment by signalling that historic grievances were now officially recognised, creating a powerful new incentive to frame disputes as Treaty claims.

In 1976, the Crown announced plans to develop the remaining Bastion Point land for high‑income housing and parks. The prospect of permanent private development — rather than passive reserve land — proved to be the immediate trigger for the 1977–78 occupation.

The 1978 offer

During the occupation, the Crown made a substantial proposal. In 1978, it offered to return 11.6 hectares, including the original 5.3 hectares, for $200,000, with 27 houses already built on the land.

At the time, the combined land and housing had an estimated market value of about $390,000, meaning the offer was around half of market value. Notably, Ngāti Whātua elders were prepared to accept this settlement as a practical resolution. It was the occupation’s activist leadership, rather than the elders, who rejected the offer and continued the protest until eviction.

Resolution

The 507-day occupation at Bastion Point brought long-running grievances over earlier Crown land dealings — including the 1886 Public Works Act taking — into sharp political focus. That protest led to a Waitangi Tribunal inquiry and, in time, to a negotiated Treaty settlement. The settlement returned around 65 hectares of ancestral and reserve land to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, provided $3 million in compensation, and included a formal Crown apology.

A more complete picture

None of this diminishes the cultural or emotional significance of Bastion Point. But history deserves proportion as well as sympathy. The record shows that the Crown:

• acted under lawful authority,

• paid compensation that exceeded undeveloped value at the time,

• preserved the land as a public reserve for decades,

• rehoused displaced residents in state housing, and

• made a heavily discounted offer to return land and housing in 1978.

Seen in full, Bastion Point is not a story of unbroken bad faith. It is a complex episode shaped by changing laws, incentives, and expectations — and one that was ultimately resolved through return, compensation, and apology.

“The prices paid [1886 - 1928], though comparatively meagre when viewed in retrospect....appear to have been generously assessed”. - Justice Speight (1978)

Geoff Parker is a passionate advocate for equal rights and a colour blind society.