death penalty

The death penalty

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  The first execution in New Zealand was that of a young Maori named Maketu, convicted at Auckland in 1842. Walter Bolton became the last to be executed when he was hanged at Mount Eden prison in 1957. In total there were 83 verified executions for murder and one for treason in New Zealand between these dates.

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• Page 2 – The first execution

  On 7 March 1842 Maketu Wharetotara, the 17-year-old son of the Ngāpuhi chief Ruhe of Waimate, became the first person to be legally executed in New Zealand.

• Page 3 – Mokomoko and Völkner

  The Te Whakatōhea chief Mokomoko was one of five Māori executed on 17 May 1866 for being implicated in the murder of the missionary Carl Volkner at Ōpōtiki in 1865. The

• Page 4 – The last execution

  Walter Bolton was the last person to be executed in New Zealand when he was convicted of poisoning his wife, Beatrice. He was hanged for her murder at Mount Eden prison. The

• Page 5 – List of executions

  Between Maketu's execution in 1842 and Walter Bolton in 1957, there were a further 82 executions.

• Page 6 – Further information

  This web feature was written by Steve Watters and produced by the NZHistory.net.nz team.

Maungatapu murders, 1866

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  The 'Burgess gang' murdered and thieved their way around the South Island during the 1860s. Their most notorious crime was five killings over two days in June 1866, on the Maungatapu track near Nelson. Now you can read their story in a virtual comic book.

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• Page 6 – The executions

  Members of the Nelson Volunteers surrounded the gaol on the morning of the execution to ensure that 'good order was maintained' by the public.

• Page 8 – Further information

  Further reading and links to information about the Maungatapu murders