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Kiwi of the Week

Rene Shadbolt

René Shadbolt led the only New Zealand contingent to the Spanish Civil War. She and fellow nurse, Isobel Dodds, cared for wounded soldiers, particularly those from the International Brigades, from July 1937 to November 1938.

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Today in History

5 March

1830 Outbreak of the Girl's War at Kororareka

The Girl's War is the name given to a conflict fought in March 1830 between northern and southern Nga Puhi. It had its roots in inter-hapu rivalry and competition for European trade at Kororareka. The conflict was sparked by a fight among some young high-born Maori women, including the wives of a European whaler, W.D. Brind. A minor incident led to an exchange of threats between the girls' tribes. Things turned violent when someone was accidentally shot.

At Kororareka, northern Nga Puhi under the leadership of Ururoa (the brother-in-law of Hongi Hika) clashed with southern Nga Puhi led by Kiwikiwi. The battle was largely inconclusive with Kiwikiwi retreating to Otuihu. The missionaries Samuel Marsden and Henry Williams acted as intermediaries in the peace negotiations that followed. Kororareka was left in the control of northern Nga Puhi, leading to intermittent fighting for control of the town over the next seven years.