From 1866, the Native Land Court operated in Wairarapa and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, determining the ownership of Māori land and converting customary title into title derived from the Crown, a process that imposed a heavy cost on iwi. Until 1873, legislation limited the ownership of land blocks to 10 or fewer individuals. The individualised formal title granted by the Crown eroded tribal control and rendered the land vulnerable to fragmentation and sale. As a result, large areas of this land under the Native Land Court title were purchased by the Crown and settlers. 