Poutini: landmark book documents the remarkable Māori history of the South Island West Coast

Poutini: The Māori History of the West Coast
Paul Madgwick

‘Māori have lived on Te Tai Poutini for at least as long as anywhere else on these islands called New Zealand, bound by ancient stories and a unique affinity to pounamu,’ says journalist, iwi historian and West Coaster Paul Madgwick. ‘So why is the Māori story so impoverished in a region so rich in storytelling?’ 

In his new 528-page book Poutini: The Māori History of the West Coast, Madgwick sets out to correct this by recording the Ngāi Tahu history of the West Coast, one of the most colourful of New Zealand regions.

Drawing on a lifetime of research, he grounds the history in early Poutini mythology and considers the migration to and occupation of Te Tai Poutini by different iwi (tribes), which led to conflicts for control of pounamu and land. 

He gives a detailed account of the succession of Māori settlements along the West Coast, interweaving pre-contact history with early interactions between Pākehā explorers and Ngāi Tahu, land sales and the allocation of Māori reserves, all of which also feature in dedicated chapters. 

The book takes in the impact of the West Coast gold rushes — and the pivotal role Poutini Ngāi Tahu played in these — and the two World Wars, development in the twentieth century through to the 1998 Ngāi Tahu Settlement, and the issues faced today. Throughout, it is the voices and images of Ngāi Tahu people that speak loud.

Although general histories of Te Tai Poutini are widely known throughout the iwi, knowledge has remained scattered and hidden, as noted by Sir Tipene O’Regan in his foreword. 

Poutini pulls these different histories into one place, incorporating a wealth of historic and contemporary photographs, detailed maps and whakapapa (genealogical charts).

This, then, is a comprehensive story of the Poutini coast, from the mists of legends to the bloody pounamu wars, the Māori discovery of gold to the feats of great mountain climbers, and the uneasy transition into a changing world.

Poutini is a joint publication of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Oratia Books. In addition to our thanks to Paul for his amazing work, Oratia acknowledges Helen Brown, Takerei Norton and Ian Gover and their team at Ngāi Tahu for all their mahi. 

Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio is launching Poutini today at Māwhera Pā in Greymouth, and a public event to present the book will take place in early December in Hokitika. 

The author

Photo courtesy Greymouth Star

Paul Madgwick (Ngāti Māhaki, Ngāi Tahu) was born and bred in Hokitika. He has been involved with Poutini Ngāi Tahu affairs all his adult life. For two decades Paul has chaired Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio, based at Maitahi. Considered an authority on the Māori history of Te Tai Poutini, Paul was also a key informant for the Ngāi Tahu digital public atlas, www.kahurumanu.co.nz. With a 40-year career in journalism, he has been editor of the Greymouth Star newspaper and related titles since 2005. Paul is one of two iwi councillors on the Westland District Council, and a member of the West Coast Mayors, Chairs and Iwi Forum. He lives on Te Tai Poutini with whānau.

Publication: 5 November 2024  |  ISBN: 978-1-99-004244-7 | RRP $75.00

Hardback, 250 x 185 mm portrait, 528 pages, colour