who signed the treaty of waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed on 6 February 1840 by Captain William Hobson, representing the British Crown, and a group of Māori chiefs (rangatira), with many more chiefs signing in the following months.
Key signers on 6 February 1840
- Captain William Hobson (later Governor), who signed on behalf of the British Crown.
- Around 40–45 Māori rangatira at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands on that first day; many sources note “more than 40” or “approximately 45” chiefs at the initial signing.
- Hōne Heke Pōkai is commonly recorded as the first Māori chief to sign the Waitangi sheet, with a few chiefs later adding their names above his.
How many people signed in total?
- The Waitangi sheet and other copies in te reo Māori were taken around the country over about six months to collect more signatures.
- In total, a little over 500 Māori chiefs signed (most estimates are 500–579), including a small number of women of high status.
- Only a minority—about a few dozen—signed an English-language version; most signed the te reo Māori text, Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Simple HTML table of main facts
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Date and place of first signing | 6 February 1840, Waitangi, Bay of Islands. | [5][7][1]
| British signatory | Captain William Hobson, on behalf of the British Crown. | [1][5]
| Māori signatories on the day | More than 40 (around 43–45) rangatira signed at Waitangi that day. | [3][7][1]
| Notable early Māori signer | Hōne Heke Pōkai, often cited as the first chief to sign the Waitangi sheet. | [9][3]
| Total Māori signatories | Ultimately just over 500 rangatira signed across all copies, including some women of mana. | [4][7][3][1]
| Language of most signatures | Most signed the Māori text (Te Tiriti o Waitangi); only a few dozen signed an English version. | [7][3][9]
Why this matters today
Because it was signed by Hobson for the Crown and hundreds of Māori leaders around the country, the Treaty is regarded as the founding document of modern Aotearoa New Zealand and remains central to debates about sovereignty, land, and rights today.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.