First Taranaki War erupts at Waitara

The opening shots of the first Taranaki War were fired on 17 March 1860 when British troops attacked a pā built by the Te Āti Awa chief Te Rangitāke at Te Kohia. Te Rangitāke (also know as Wiremu Kīngi) and his supporters were resisting the government’s purchase of the Pekapeka block at Waitara. 

In 1859 a minor Te Āti Awa chief, Te Teira Mānuka, had offered Governor Thomas Gore Browne land at Waitara. Te Rangitāke opposed the offer and warned the governor: ‘I will not permit the sale of Waitara to Pakeha. Waitara is in my hands, I will not give it up’. His supporters erected a flagstaff to mark the boundary of their land.

Official policy at the time was that if the ownership of land was disputed, its purchase should not go ahead until the issue had been fully investigated and resolved. However Gore Browne saw an opportunity to assert his authority and accepted Te Teira’s offer. Te Rangitāke was portrayed as a bully who was holding back progress in Taranaki. Gore Browne also hoped to win the support of New Plymouth settlers who were desperate for more land.

When Gore Browne ordered surveyors onto the disputed land, Māori protestors pulled up their pegs. The governor responded by declaring martial law and sending in troops.

Te Rangitake’s purpose-built pā at Te Kohia – just inside the Pekapeka block – incorporated anti-artillery bunkers and was L-shaped, which made it difficult to surround. Built in a single night, it withstood close-range fire from 500 troops for an entire day as well as 200 rounds from two 24-pounder guns. No Māori had been killed by the time Te Rangitāke and his 70 or so men abandoned the pā that night. L-shaped pā were to become a feature of Māori defences during the New Zealand Wars – they were quick to build, effective and expendable.

Image: detail from plan of Pekapeka Block, Waitara - see full image (NZETC)