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Pātaka Whenua is the online portal that holds the electronic court record, which includes minutes and orders. You can search the court record in Pātaka Whenua from anywhere at any time.

You do not need to register or log in to search the court record in Pātaka Whenua.

 

Pātaka Whenua holds information previously available on Māori Land Online (MLOL) and Māori Land Information System (MLIS). 

You can search Pātaka Whenua as a guest user, or you can create an account and become a registered user where you can save your information and pick up where you left off last time.

You can search for information by land block, landowner, management structure or document.

For guidance on how to search, view this guide here: Search for documents
For all our other guidance and troubleshooting guides, visit this page here: Pātaka Whenua - our online portal

  • You can search for information by using the name of the land block.

    You can see where the whenua is and if there are any current applications before the Court in relation to it. This may help you and other landowners decide on future development or use of your land.

    If you’re compiling a whenua timeline you can access historical information of that whenua as recorded in the Māori Land Court (or our predecessor, the Native Land Court).

    Go to page 3 of the Search for Documents guide for guidance on how to search by land block.

  • You can search for land that you have an interest in to learn more about the whakapapa of the whenua and the whānau. You can find information on:

    • The current list of landowners of the block.
    • When a person became a landowner, who they inherited land interests from and the type of land ownership they have
    • The previous landowners and line of succession, or whakapapa of the whenua.

    This search tool can be used to find historical information that may help you to collate information about whakapapa.

    Go to page 11 of the Search for Documents guide for guidance on how to search by landowner.

  • You can search for a trust or administration body that manages land you have an interest in. This will show you:

    • who the trustees are and when they were appointed
    • when the land trust was formed
    • any historical activities of the trust that have been recorded by the Māori Land Court
    • the trust order or deed

    In some cases, you can find trustee contact details which you can use to register your interest in receiving updates about the whenua.

    Go to page 8 of the Search for Documents guide for guidance on how to search by management structure.

  • You can search for current and historical documents that are public record in the Māori Land Court. This may include historical memorial schedules, court minutes and judgements, survey plans, and title orders.

    Documents that are not included in the public record include:

    • Will files (original wills with probate orders made by the Māori Land Court)
    • Personal files (original grants of administration made by the Māori Land Court or files which deal with personal property in addition to Māori land)
    • Adoption files (where an adoption was granted by the Māori Land Court)
    • Any document or record that, due to its age and condition, can no longer be safely handled
    • Any document or record that has been suppressed by the court.

    Go to page 5 of the Search for Documents guide for guidance on how to search by document.

Rapua a Pātaka Whenua Search Pātaka Whenua

Pātaka Whenua holds information about whenua and the court record. 

Resources

  • A guide to Māori Land Court minute book abbreviations.