Story: Law of the foreshore and seabed
When Kaipara Māori demanded rent for the use of a shellfish bed in 1855, settlers resisted in the belief that the seabed was public land. In this watercolour of the Kaipara Harbour (in Northland) by William Fox, painted nine years later, Ngāti Whātua are clearly using the harbour for their own activities.
About this item
Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: WC-007-1
Watercolour by William Fox
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.



