[citation needed] The Ngāti Maru of Taranaki are descended from Marutūāhu's brother Maruwharanui.

During the 1850s Ngāti Maru were one of the main tribes providing large supplies of food to the new capital Auckland.

Gold was discovered near Thames in 1852 which quickly changed from a small Māori kainga to a large European town of 40,000 people.

Initially opinion was divided among the tribe whether they should allow Europeans access but they decided in favour when a government agent agreed to confine miners to one area, create a Māori police force to enforce this and pay Ngāti Maru for every licence sold by the government.

[citation needed] In pre-gold rush period the Ngati Maru population was estimated at 310.