He Puna Wera Na Tokaanu: A contemporary view of TOKAANU TOWNSHIP

Merania Kaperiera left her home at Tokaanu when she was 14 years old to live in Tawata. Her Father had died in 1909, and we are unsure of where she lived until she turned 14; or in fact whether her mother, Wehikore was still alive at the time. A family account states that she went to live with Titi Tihu and his wife Piki Tukau; and that they brought her up from that age. There is no mention of her mother in this story; and this would suggest that Merania went to live with Titi as an orphaned girl. In any case, along with her brothers, Merania suceeded to her Father's interests in 4 Tokaanu land blocks; and left at the age of 14, having no further interaction with the land that she inherited from her father. So ... What happened to her shares in those lands ? And what happened to the shares of these children in their absence.

A recent MLC search identified that Merania's interests in Tokaanu Township were held in the present Tokaanu Blocks Sec, 5,7,9, & 13.
These blocks are all on Tawera St (State Highway 41) and on of them is on the corner of Tawera St and Atutahi St.

The Land area itself is 2.2814 hectares; and was the result of a Partition Order dated 27/03/1919.
Five years after Merania had left the area. Her brother's were also not in the area, one had died in combat during the Great War, and the other two brothers lived in Taranaki.

A view of the current use of the land, shows it to be Church, and a Cemetery [Piripekapeka Urupa]. Each of these are two separate entities, each administered by an independent trust. Now Merania and her 3 brothers own a complete share each in these blocks. Collectively they own 0.0045 of a hectare.
So ... where did the rest of their land go ???

Below are photographs of the present day usage of their remnants shares in Tokaanu Township.