Tribal land was cleared in 1863, and then confiscated by Governor Grey in 1865 after local Māori supported the Māori King Movement ("Kīngitanga") during the Waikato War. In 1867, the New Zealand Government acquired Ihumātao through a land grant. The land known as Oruarangi Block was farmed by the Wallace family for 150 years, who sold it to Fletcher Building in 2017 for a planned subdivision.