This plan shows the Otago A2 Princes Street Reserve as it was in 1855, 1868 and 1870. The Reserve had been set aside, in 1853, by Walter Mantell for Ngai Tahu to use when they visited Dunedin – to land their waka and for accommodation. The plan was created from the original survey plans for Dunedin by the Otago Provincial Survey. However, the Otago Provincial Government had also claimed rights to the use of shoreline for harbour development.

The plan was part of evidence before the Native Land Court hearing held at Dunedin on 1 October 1939. The Court was asked by Teoti Timoti Karetai and others to investigate the title of the Princes Street Reserve. More background on the Reserve, ownership issues and the Court case can be found in the Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives (AJHRs), 1945 Session I, G-06b – The Native Purposes Act, 1938 – Report and Recommendation on Petition No. 49 of 1937, of Teoti Timoti Karetai and Others, Praying for an Investigation of the Native Reserve in Princes Street, Dunedin: atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&d=AJHR1945-I.2.... The Court case described the history of land ownership and made no recommendation.

The issue of title was again investigated in Ngai Tahu's Treaty of Waitangi Tribunal Claim WAI–27: the report of the Waitangi Tribunal – Ngai Tahu Land Report – WAI–27, 1991 – forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/WT/wt_DOC_68476209... - Sections 2.3 and 7. There is an article about Ann Parsonson, an historian, who researched the history of the Princes Street Reserve on Ngai Tahu's website: ngaitahu.iwi.nz/our_stories/sense-purpose-2/ as part of the claim settlement process. A brief history of Ngai Tahu is on Te Ara: www.teara.govt.nz/en/ngai-tahu.

The water's edge was somewhere near Bond Street and State Highway 1 going north, also known as Crawford Street.