Two of those 70-year-old frail kaumātua, Hekaiaha and Tamarawhero, died here awaiting trial before even reaching Dunedin, and lie in unmarked graves behind Alexander Turnbull's gravestone across the road in Bolton Street cemetery. Our other tūpuna who died before returning home lie in mass graves in the Southern Cemetery in Dunedin. In 1870, petitions were made to this place to Governor Sir George Bowen and defence Minister Donald McLean to release the political prisoners, but these were ignored. In 1871, William Fox went so far as to state the Pātea settlers would shoot the prisoners if returning home, and that Ngāti Ruanui would never be restored to any part of their ancient abodes.