104-616: The Second Taranaki War is a term used by some historians for the period of hostilities between Māori and the New Zealand Government in the Taranaki district of New Zealand between 1863 and 1866. The term is avoided by some historians, who either describe the conflicts as merely a series of West Coast campaigns that took place between the Taranaki War (1860–1861) and Titokowaru's War (1868–69), or an extension of
208-474: A Waitangi Tribunal report on the situation in 1996 led to some debate on the matter. In a speech to a group of psychologists, Associate Minister of Māori Affairs Tariana Turia compared the suppression of Taranaki Māori to the Holocaust , provoking a vigorous reaction around New Zealand, with Prime Minister Helen Clark among those voicing criticism. The subnational gross domestic product (GDP) of Taranaki
312-549: A Māori attack as they rested without their weapons at the order of their commander, Captain P.W.J. Lloyd. Māori casualties were slight. The naked bodies of the seven dead, including Lloyd, were later recovered; all had been decapitated as part of a Hauhau rite. The mutilations were the first of a series inflicted on British and New Zealand soldiers carried out by Hauhau devotees between 1864 and 1873. Lloyd had only recently arrived in New Zealand from England and his lack of caution
416-763: A Māori village was attacked and burnt. On 2 September 1865, Grey proclaimed peace to all Māori who had taken part in the West Coast "rebellion", but with little effect. By 20 September there were further deaths following a Māori ambush at Warea and reprisals by the 43rd Regiment and Mounted Corps. Further skirmishing took place near Hāwera and Patea in October and November. Cameron's replacement, Major-General Trevor Chute , arrived in New Plymouth on 20 September to take command of operations just as Premier Frederick Weld 's policy of military self-reliance took effect and
520-633: A bayonet raid on the Pokokaikai pā north of Hāwera on 1 August 1866, in which two men and a woman were killed. McDonnell had only days earlier communicated with the pā and extracted a strong signal that they intended remaining peaceful. A commission of inquiry held into the Pokaikai raid concluded the attack had been unnecessary and that McDonnell's action in lulling the Māori into a state of security and then attacking them had been "improper and unjust". A convoy
624-405: A campaign against the West Coast tribes, Chute marched from Wanganui on 30 December 1865, with 33 Royal Artillery, 280 of the 14th Regiment , 45 Forest Rangers under Major Gustavus von Tempsky , 300 Wanganui Native Contingent and other Māori with a Transport Corps of 45 men, each driving a two-horse dray. Chute's force burned the village of Okutuku, inland of Waverley on 3 January 1866 and stormed
728-436: A campaign of passive resistance against government land confiscation, which culminated in a raid by colonial troops on 5 November 1881. The confiscations, subsequently acknowledged by the New Zealand Government as unjust and illegal, began in 1865 and soon included the entire Taranaki district. Towns including Normanby , Hāwera and Carlyle ( Patea ) were established on land confiscated as military settlements. The release of
832-467: A contingent of 2000 based at Weraroa pā, near Waitotara, who were determined to halt Cameron's march northward. Pai-Mārire chief prophet Te Ua Haumēne was also at the pā, but took no part in the fighting. Cameron's force, by then boosted to 2300, moved again on 2 February, crossing the Waitotara River by raft and establishing posts at Waitotara, Patea and several other places before arriving at
936-518: A critical care paramedic) and two operational managers during the day. At night, four ambulances are on duty and one rapid response vehicle. Volunteer-crewed first response units are based in Opunake and Urenui. There are 13 police stations in the region, including three in New Plymouth and others are based in the main towns. The Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust provides search, rescue and patient transfer missions when required. The MBB/Kawasaki BK 117
1040-525: A despatch to London Grey wrote that he had failed to shake the "dogged determination" of Māori on the Waitara question. "A great part of the native race," he wrote, "may be stated to be at the present moment in arms, in a state of chronic discontent ... Large numbers of them have renounced the Queen's authority, and many of them declare openly that they have been so wronged that they will never return under it ...
1144-498: A distaste for the operations against Māori, viewing it as a war of land plunder and explaining the campaign could not deliver the "decisive blow" that might induce the Māori to submit. Cameron considered that the British army did most of the fighting and suffered most of the casualties in order to enable settlers to take Māori land. Many of his soldiers also had great admiration for the Māori, for their courage and chivalrous treatment of
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#17327757913951248-496: A dog and two horses en route. The march was hailed as a triumph, but Belich commented: "Chute narrowly escaped becoming one of the few generals to lose an army without the presence of an enemy to excuse him." Chute marched back to Wanganui via the coast road, having encircled Mt Taranaki. The five-week campaign had resulted in the destruction of seven fortified pā and 21 villages, along with cultivations and food storages, inflicting heavy casualties. According to historian B.J. Dalton,
1352-577: A few hundred and to 1,500. Total losses among the imperial, volunteer, and militia troops are estimated to have been 238, while Māori casualties totalled about 200. An uneasy truce was negotiated a year later, only to be broken in April 1863 as tensions over land occupation boiled over again. A total of 5,000 troops fought in the Second Taranaki War against about 1,500 men, women and children. The style of warfare differed markedly from that of
1456-411: A force of 514, including Forest Rangers and Native Contingent, to New Plymouth along an ancient inland Māori war track to the east of Mt Taranaki. The momentum of the advance quickly ran out as they encountered a combination of heavy undergrowth and torrential rain. Carrying just three days' provisions, the column ran out of food and did not arrive in New Plymouth until 26 January, having been forced to eat
1560-524: A form of land plunder, had urged the Colonial Office to withdraw British troops from New Zealand and from the end of 1865 the Imperial forces began to leave, replaced by an expanding New Zealand military force. Among the new colonial forces were specialist Forest Ranger units, which embarked on lengthy search-and-destroy missions deep into the bush. The Waitangi Tribunal has argued that apart from
1664-459: A gasp – like that – he would fall dead. The tuakana (elder brother) in a family would fall with 'Hapa!’ on his lips, then the teina (younger brother) would fall; then the old father would fall dead beside them. About 34 Māori and one imperial soldier were killed. Among those shot dead, at almost point-blank range, were chiefs Hepanaia, Kingi Parengarenga (Taranaki), Tupara Keina (Ngatiawa), Tamati Hone (Ngati Ruanui) and Hare Te Kokai, who had advocated
1768-495: A great crime had been committed against them. That through all future generations it will be told that their lands have been forcibly and unlawfully taken from them by officers appointed by the Queen of the United Kingdom. They argue that they have no hope of obtaining justice, that their eventual extermination is determined on; but that all that is left to them is to die like men, after a long and desperate struggle; and that
1872-402: A level with our heads – the sign of the ringa-tu. This, we believed, would ward off the enemy's bullets; it was the faith with which we all had been inspired by Te Ua and his apostles. The bullets came ripping through our ranks. 'Hapa, hapa!’ our men shouted after delivering a shot, but down they fell. 'Hapa!’ a warrior would cry, with his right hand raised to avert the enemy's bullets, and with
1976-575: A million acres (4,000 km ) of land. The present main highway on the inland side of Mount Taranaki follows the path taken by the colonial forces under Major General Trevor Chute as they marched, with great difficulty, from Patea to New Plymouth in 1866. Armed Māori resistance continued in South Taranaki until early 1869, led by the warrior Tītokowaru , who reclaimed land almost as far south as Wanganui . A decade later, spiritual leader Te Whiti o Rongomai , based at Parihaka , launched
2080-504: A pole at the Manutahi pā, with all the principal Taranaki chiefs present: Wiremu Kīngi and Kingi Parengarenga, as well as Te Whiti and Tohu Kākahi , both of whom would later become prophets at Parihaka . The force, armed with muskets, shotguns, tomahawks and spears, marched to Sentry Hill and at 8am launched their attack, ascending the slope that led to the redoubt. Te Kahu-Pukoro recalled: We did not stoop or crawl as we advanced upon
2184-633: A synthetic-petrol plant called the Gas-To-Gasoline plant) at Motunui . Fuel and fertiliser is also produced at a well complex at Kapuni and a number of smaller land-based oilfields. With the Maui field nearing depletion, new offshore resources have been developed: the Kupe field , 30 km south of Hāwera and the Pohokura gas field , 4.5 km north of Waitara. The way the land mass projects into
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#17327757913952288-610: Is Tiroa Pā where the last Io whare wānanga (traditional study centre) was held in a specially crafted whare called Te Whetu Marama o Hinawa at Te Miringa Te Kakara. The other whare wānanga was near present-day Piopio and was called Kahuwera. It stood on the hill of the same name and commanded a panoramic view of the Mokau River valley across the Maraetaua block. Ngāti Te Kanawa is an iwi based in Taumarunui and one of
2392-498: Is Methanex, also based in Taranaki, who use it as a feedstock to produce methanol for export. Taranaki's natural gas is also used to make urea for use on farms. The head offices of many energy companies are based in the region along with specialist service and supply companies, including freight, logistics, fabrication, technical, professional services and consultancies as well as environmental and health and safety expertise. The region
2496-528: Is a smaller hospital but offers 24-hour emergency department, inpatient beds, maternity services, outpatients and community services. There are health centres in Waitara , Opunake , Patea , Mokau , Stratford and Urenui . St John Ambulance supplies all ambulance services to Taranaki, with their main station based Waiwhakaiho on the outskirts of New Plymouth. Throughout the region, they have six emergency ambulances, two rapid response vehicles (one crewed by
2600-660: Is an iwi (tribe) based in the Waikato-Waitomo region of New Zealand's North Island . It is part of the Tainui confederation, the members of which trace their whakapapa (genealogy) back to people who arrived in New Zealand on the waka (canoe) Tainui . The 2018 New Zealand census reports show an estimated population of 45,930 people who affiliated with Maniapoto , making it the 9th most-populous iwi in New Zealand. Ngāti Maniapoto trace their lineage to their eponymous ancestor Maniapoto , an 11th generation descendant of
2704-525: Is based at its hangar at Taranaki Base Hospital. It serves as a critical service for missions relating to the region's mountain and steep inland hill country and marine areas. Notable sports teams from Taranaki include: Commonwealth gold Bowls, Brian Symes 7s,World, Commonwealth,Olympic gold medalists..Gayle Broughton & Mikalya Blyde. Silver Ferns, Ardean Harper, 39°18′S 174°8′E / 39.300°S 174.133°E / -39.300; 174.133 Ng%C4%81ti Maniapoto Ngāti Maniapoto
2808-490: Is exceptionally fertile thanks to generous rainfall and rich volcanic soil. Dairy farming predominates, with Fonterra 's Whareroa milk factory just outside of Hāwera producing the largest volume of dairy ingredients from a single factory anywhere in the world. There are also oil and gas deposits in the region, both on- and off-shore. The Maui gas field off the south-west coast has provided most of New Zealand's gas supply and once supported two methanol plants, (one formerly
2912-783: Is home to the world’s largest milk production facility by annual volume, Fonterra’s Whareroa Plant near Hawera, which produces milk powder, butter, casein whey and cheese. The region also boasts the largest secondary cheese operation in Asia-Pacific as well as a high-tech lactose plant producing pharmaceutical lactose for the global medical industry and a speciality artisan cheese facility. Natural gas from Taranaki’s fields accounts for around 20% of New Zealand’s primary energy supply. It provides heat, energy and hot water supply for over 245,000 New Zealand households as well as more than 10,000 commercial users such as restaurants, hotels, greenhouses and hospitals. The single biggest user of natural gas
3016-618: Is in North Taranaki along with Inglewood and Waitara . South Taranaki towns include Hāwera , Manaia , Stratford , Eltham , and Ōpunake . Since 2005, Taranaki has used the promotional brand "Like no other". Taranaki is on the west coast of the North Island, surrounding the volcanic peak of Mount Taranaki. The region covers an area of 7258 km . Its large bays north-west and south-west of Cape Egmont are North Taranaki Bight and South Taranaki Bight . Mount Taranaki
3120-557: Is renowned for its world class engineering design and project management skills, which tackles on and off shore fabrication and construction. From 1853 the Taranaki region was governed as the Taranaki Province (initially known as the New Plymouth Province) until the abolition of New Zealand provinces in 1876. The leading office was that of the superintendent. The following is a list of superintendents of
3224-515: Is the second highest mountain in the North Island, and the dominant geographical feature of the region. A Māori legend says that Mount Taranaki previously lived with the Tongariro , Ngāuruhoe and Ruapehu mountains of the central North Island but fled to its current location after a battle with Tongariro. A near-perfect cone, it last erupted in the mid-18th century. The mountain and its immediate surrounds form Egmont National Park . Historically,
Second Taranaki War - Misplaced Pages Continue
3328-623: The 57th Regiment , led by Colonel Sir Henry James Warre , marched out to Omata to retake the land and a month later, on 4 April, Browne's successor, Governor Sir George Grey , marched to Tataraimaka with troops and built a redoubt and re-occupied the land in what the Waitangi Tribunal described as a hostile act. The five tribes encamped in the area – Atiawa, Taranaki, Ngatiruanui, Nga Rauru and Whanganui – promptly requested assistance from Ngāti Maniapoto and Waikato Māori to respond to what they regarded as an act of war. In
3432-523: The First Taranaki War . The conflict, which overlapped the wars in Waikato and Tauranga , was fuelled by a combination of factors: lingering Māori resentment over the sale of land at Waitara in 1860 and government delays in resolving the issue; a large-scale land confiscation policy launched by the government in late 1863; and the rise of the so-called Hauhau movement, an extremist part of
3536-720: The King Movement . Tension over land ownership continued to mount, leading to the outbreak of war at Waitara in March 1860. Although the pressure for the sale of the Waitara block resulted from the colonists' hunger for land in Taranaki, the greater issue fuelling the conflict was the Government's desire to impose British administration, law and civilisation on the Māori. The war was fought by more than 3,500 imperial troops brought in from Australia as well as volunteer soldiers and militia against Māori forces that fluctuated from
3640-501: The Local Government Amendment Act (No 3) 1988 . The council's headquarters were established in the central location of Stratford to "provide a good compromise in respect of overcoming traditional south vs north Taranaki community of interest conflicts" (Taranaki Regional Council, 2001 p. 6). Chairs Taranaki's landscape and the mountain's supposed resemblance to Mount Fuji led it to be selected as
3744-486: The Pai Marire syncretic religion, which was strongly opposed to the alienation of Māori land and eager to strengthen Māori identity. The Hauhau movement became a unifying factor for Taranaki Māori in the absence of individual Māori commanders. The style of warfare after 1863 differed markedly from that of the 1860-61 conflict, in which Māori had taken set positions and challenged the army to an open contest. From 1863
3848-457: The Tasman Sea with northerly, westerly and southerly exposures, results in many excellent surfing and windsurfing locations, some of them considered world-class. Taranaki covers 7,254.50 km (2,800.98 sq mi) and has a population of 130,800 as of Statistics New Zealand's June 2024, 2.5 percent of New Zealand's population. It has a population density of 18 people per km . It is
3952-500: The 1820s and 1830s, whalers targeted Southern right whales in the South Taranaki Bight . In March 1828 Richard "Dicky" Barrett (1807–47) set up a trading post at Ngamotu (present-day New Plymouth ). Barrett and his companions, who were armed with muskets and cannon, were welcomed by the Āti Awa tribe for assisting in their continuing wars with Waikato Māori. Following a bloody encounter at Ngamotu in 1832, most of
4056-417: The 1860–61 conflict as the army systematically took possession of Māori land by driving off the inhabitants, adopting a " scorched earth " strategy of laying waste to the villages and cultivations of Māori, whether warlike or otherwise. As the troops advanced, the Government built an expanding line of redoubts, behind which settlers built homes and developed farms. The effect was a creeping confiscation of almost
4160-629: The 2000 Āti Awa living near Ngamotu, as well as Barrett, migrated south to the Kāpiti region and Marlborough . In late 1839 Barrett returned to Taranaki to act as a purchasing agent for the New Zealand Company , which had already begun on-selling the land to prospective settlers in England with the expectation of securing its title. Barrett claimed to have negotiated the purchase of an area extending from Mokau to Cape Egmont , and inland to
4264-434: The 57th Regiment were killed in the engagement. The Māori were also shelled by HMS Eclipse from about 1.5 km (0.93 mi) offshore. On 2 October a large force of the 57th Regiment, Volunteers and militia engaged Māori near Poutoko Redoubt, Omata , 9 km south of New Plymouth. Victoria Crosses were awarded to two members of the 57th, Ensign John Thornton Down and Drummer Dudley Stagpoole , for bravery during
Second Taranaki War - Misplaced Pages Continue
4368-579: The Battle of Moutoa, on the Wanganui River, on 14 May 1864, in which Lower Wanganui kupapa routed a Hauhau war party intending to raid Wanganui . Among the 50 Hauhau killed was the prophet Matene Rangitauira, while the defending forces suffered 15 deaths. Sporadic fighting between Upper and Lower Wanganui iwi continued through to 1865 and in April 1865 a combined force of 200 Taranaki Military Settlers and Patea Rangers, under Major Willoughby Brassey of
4472-561: The Chute campaign, Sir Frederic Rogers , Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies , wrote back: "I doubt whether the natives have ever attempted to devastate our settlements as we are devastating theirs. There is more destruction than fighting." In early 1866 military settlers began taking possession of land confiscated from Taranaki Māori to create new townships including Kakaramea, Te Pakakohi and Ngarauru. As surveyors moved on to
4576-549: The First Taranaki War, and took the Hauhau pā of Manutahi after its inhabitants abandoned it, cutting down the niu flagstaff and destroying the palisading and whare , or homes, inside. Three days later Colonel Warre led a strong force of the 70th Regiment as well as 50 kupapa ("friendly" Māori) to Te Arei and also took possession of the recently abandoned stronghold. The focus of Hauhau activities shifted south with
4680-594: The Hauhau positions abandoned. Māori losses were between 13 and 20; the colonial force suffered four wounded. In January 1865 General Cameron took the field in the Wanganui district, under instructions by Governor Grey to secure "sufficient possession" of land between Wanganui and the Patea River to provide access to Waitotara . The Government claimed to have bought land at Waitotara in 1863, and in turn had sold more than 12,000 acres (49 km) in October 1864, but
4784-597: The New Zealand Militia, was sent to Pipiriki , 90 km upriver from Wanganui, to establish a military post. Three redoubts were built above the river, an act that was taken by local Māori as a challenge. On 19 July a force of more than 1000 Māori began a siege of the redoubts that lasted until 30 July, with heavy exchanges of fire on most days. A relief force of 300 Forest Rangers, Wanganui Rangers and Native Contingent, as well as several hundred Lower Wanganui Māori, arrived with food and ammunition but discovered
4888-590: The Ngāti Maniapoto area, one of the notable ones being Te Tokanga Nui A Noho at Te Kuiti (the narrowing) in the King Country . This whare was given to Ngāti Maniapoto by Te Kooti , a Rongowhakaata guerilla fighter who lived in the region for the period while on the run from colonial forces which undertook searches for him during the New Zealand Wars . Of equal significance but less publicly known
4992-639: The Parliament passed the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863, a piece of punitive legislation allowing unlimited confiscation of Māori land by the government, ostensibly as a means of suppressing "rebellion". Under the Act, Māori who had been "in rebellion" could be stripped of their land, which would be surveyed, divided and either given as 20 hectare farms to military settlers as a means of establishing and maintaining peace, or sold to recover
5096-752: The Province of Taranaki during this time: The Taranaki Regional Council was formed as part of major nationwide local government reforms in November 1989, for the purpose of integrated catchment management . The regional council was the successor to the Taranaki Catchment Board, the Taranaki United Council, the Taranaki Harbours Board, and 16 small special-purpose local bodies that were abolished under
5200-675: The Waikato in January 1863, indicated that he intended to send troops to retake Tataraimaka. On 4 March 1863, Grey arrived at New Plymouth alongside General Duncan Cameron , Dillon Bell and Colonial Secretary Alfred Domett . Between this time and early April, British troops established redoubts south and west of Omata, reaching Tataraimaka. In March 1863 a group of Māori encamped on land they had seized at Tataraimaka were ousted with force by British troops in what they regarded as an act of war. The Waitangi Tribunal, in its 1996 report, also claimed
5304-470: The Waingongoro River, between Hāwera and Manaia , on 31 March, where a large camp and redoubts were built. Troops encountered fire at Hāwera, but his only other major encounter was at Te Ngaio, in open country between Patea and Kakaramea , on 15 March when the troops were ambushed by about 200 Māori, including unarmed women. Cameron claimed 80 Māori losses, the heaviest loss of Hauhau tribes in
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#17327757913955408-551: The West Coast campaign. His force suffered one killed and three wounded in the Te Ngaio attack, which was the last military attempt by Māori to halt Cameron's northward advance. Cameron's own troops were also losing enthusiasm for the campaign, with one 18th-century writer reporting sympathetic Irish soldiers in the 57th Regiment saying, "Begorra, it's a murder to shoot them. Sure, they are our own people, with their potatoes and fish, and children." Difficulties with landing supplies on
5512-555: The aim was no longer to conquer territory, but to inflict the utmost "punishment" on the enemy: "Inevitably there was a great deal of brutality, much burning of undefended villages and indiscriminate looting, in which loyal Maoris often suffered." The Nelson Examiner reported: "There were no prisoners made in these late engagements as General Chute ... does not care to encumber himself with such costly luxuries," while politician Alfred Saunders agreed there were "avoidable cruelties". After reading Grey's reports expressing his satisfaction with
5616-729: The area consisted of a narrow coastal plain covered by bracken , tutu , rewarewa and karaka trees, with anywhere not close to the coast covered in dense forest. Māori had called the mountain Taranaki for many centuries, and Captain James Cook gave it the English name of Egmont after the Earl of Egmont , the recently retired First Lord of the Admiralty who had encouraged his expedition. The mountain has two alternative official names, "Mount Taranaki" and "Mount Egmont". The region
5720-435: The army, working with greater numbers of troops and heavy artillery, systematically took possession of Māori land by driving off the inhabitants, adopting a " scorched earth " strategy of laying waste to Māori villages and cultivations, with attacks on villages, whether warlike or otherwise. As the troops advanced, the Government built an expanding line of redoubts, behind which settlers built homes and developed farms. The effect
5824-529: The attack of such an apparently strong position. As historian B.J. Dalton points out, cited by Belich, he had already outflanked the pā, neutralising its strategic importance. By July a frustrated Grey decided to act on his own to take Weraroa, which he claimed was the key to the occupation of the West Coast. On 20 July, without Cameron's knowledge, he joined Captain Thomas McDonnell to lead a mix of colonial forces in raids on several Hauhau villages near
5928-489: The attack on Sentry Hill in April 1864, there was an absence of Māori aggression throughout the entire Second War, and that therefore Māori were never actually at war. It concluded: "In so far as Māori fought at all – and few did – they were merely defending their kainga , crops and land against military advance and occupation." The conflict in Taranaki had its roots in the First Taranaki War , which had ended in March 1861 with an uneasy truce. Neither side fulfilled
6032-635: The battle. In late 1863 Taranaki Māori built a strongly entrenched position at Kaitake, high on a steep ridge overlooking Ōakura . The pā was shelled in December by the 57th Regiment and through the week of 20 to 25 March 1864, the pā and nearby fortifications at Te Tutu and Ahuahu were stormed and taken by a force of 420 of the 57th, 70th and Volunteers and Militia commanded by Colonel Sir Henry James Warre, with four Armstrong guns . Cultivations of more than 2.5ha of maize, potatoes, tobacco and other crops were also found in bush clearings and destroyed. Kaitake
6136-628: The bush and clear the country surrounding New Plymouth of hostile bands. The force was later expanded to two companies and named the Taranaki Bush Rangers. On 4 June the new British commander, Lieutenant-General Duncan Cameron , led 870 members of the 57th Regiment and 70th Regiment to attack and defeat a party of about 50 Māori still occupying the Tataraimaka block beside the Katikara River. 29 Māori and one soldier from
6240-423: The census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 12,777 (12.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 56,931 (56.6%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 26,370 (26.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 38,400, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 9,930 people (9.9%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
6344-535: The costs of fighting Māori. Volunteers were enlisted from among gold miners in Otago and Melbourne for military service and a total of 479,848 hectares were confiscated in Taranaki by means of proclamations in January and September 1865. Little distinction was made between the land of "rebels" and Māori loyal to the government. According to the Waitangi Tribunal, Māori recognised that the British intention
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#17327757913956448-455: The decision that Tataraimaka, Kaipopo, Waiwakaiho, Waitaha and Waitara were Māori lands, and that any attempt to create a road south of Waireka near Omata by European settlers would be considered an act of war. By December 1862, work on the road had extended west past Waireka to Okurukuru, and by early 1863, Tamati Hone Oraukawa led a Ngāti Ruanui party north to support Taranaki iwi, if British troops re-occupied Tataraimaka. Grey, while visiting
6552-479: The fight was not against the Queen's sovereignty, but a struggle for house and home." In 1862 the so-called Hauhau Movement emerged among Taranaki Māori. The movement was an extremist part of the Pai Mārire religion that was both violent and vehemently anti- Pākehā . Adherence to the Hauhau movement, which included incantations, a sacred pole, belief in supernatural protection from bullets, and occasionally beheadings,
6656-483: The frontal attack on the redoubt. According to Cowan, the slaughter temporarily weakened the new confidence in Pai-marire, but chief prophet Te Ua had a satisfying explanation: that those who fell were to blame because they did not repose absolute faith in the karakia, or incantation. On 8 September 1864 a force of 450 men of the 70th Regiment and Bushrangers returned to Te Arei, scene of the final British campaign of
6760-478: The great majority of them declare that if war arises from this cause, they will rise and make a simultaneous attack upon the several European settlements in the Northern Island. The reasons they urge for such proceedings are ... that the people of the Waitara, without having been guilty of any crime, were driven at the point of the sword from villages, houses, and homes which they had occupied for years. That
6864-454: The harbourless coast, as well as the recognition that the land route to New Plymouth was both difficult and hostile, convinced Cameron that it would be prudent to abandon his advance and he returned to Patea, leaving several of the redoubts manned by the 57th Regiment. Cameron had also declined to attack Weraroa pā, claiming he had an insufficient force to besiege the stronghold and keep communications open. He also refused to waste men's lives on
6968-567: The land, the Government recalled forces from Ōpōtiki on the east coast to form a camp at Patea to provide additional security. The force consisted of the Patea and Wanganui Rangers, Taranaki Military Settlers, Wanganui Yeomanry Cavalry and kupapa Māori and was commanded by Major Thomas McDonnell , an able but ruthless commander. A series of attacks on small parties and convoys in June prompted retaliatory raids by McDonnell on local villages, including
7072-435: The lands, and apologising for the actions of the government of that day. Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand 's North Island . It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki , also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth . The New Plymouth District is home to more than 65 per cent of the population of Taranaki. New Plymouth
7176-408: The legitimacy of the sale of the Waitara land, but as delays continued, Taranaki and Ngāti Ruanui Māori became increasingly impatient. During the earlier war they had driven settlers off farmland at Omata and Tataraimaka, 20 km south of New Plymouth , and occupied it, claiming it by right of conquest and vowing to hold it until the Waitara land was returned to them. On 12 March 1863, 300 men from
7280-617: The location for The Last Samurai , a motion picture set in 19th-century Japan. The movie starred Tom Cruise . Taranaki has 20 fire stations scattered throughout the region. It includes one career (full time) brigade based at New Plymouth Central Fire Station and is staffed by two crews (8 firefighters) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and responds, not only to the city, but to surrounding volunteer brigades in satellite towns if needed. New Plymouth has four fire appliances, including an aerial appliance and pump rescue truck, and three specialist vehicles. There are 17 volunteer and two rural brigades in
7384-406: The military reoccupation of Tataraimaka was a hostile act that implied war had been unilaterally resumed. Two months later, on 4 May 1863, a party of about 40 Māori ambushed a small military party of the 57th Regiment on a coastal road west of Ōakura , killing all but one of the 10 soldiers as an act of revenge. The ambush may have been planned as an assassination attempt on Grey, who regularly rode
7488-460: The outbreak of a new Taranaki war and Grey immediately wrote to the Colonial Office in London, requesting three additional regiments be sent to New Zealand. He also ordered the return to New Plymouth of troops that had been moved to Auckland at the close of the earlier Taranaki hostilities, where they had been building a road southward in preparation for the invasion of the Waikato . In December 1863
7592-458: The outpost was regarded by the Atiawa as a challenge, being built close to the Māori position at Manutahi and on their land. In April 1864 a war party was formed of the best fighting men from the west coast iwi that had joined the rapidly spreading Hauhau movement. In a 1920 interview with historian James Cowan, Te Kahu-Pukoro, a fighter who took part in the attack, explained: "The Pai-marire religion
7696-627: The people who arrived on the Tainui waka and settled at the Kawhia Harbour . His father Rereahu led the Tainui expansion to the interior of the Waikato region, and Maniapoto settled in the southern Waikato area. Maniapoto's older brother Te Ihinga-a-rangi settled at Maungatautari , forming the Ngāti Hauā and Ngāti Korokī Kahukura iwi. There are many marae (area in front of a wharenui) in
7800-583: The pā with bayonets the next day, killing six Māori and suffering seven casualties. On 7 January they repeated the strategy at Te Putahi above the Whenuakura River, killing 14 Māori and losing two Imperial soldiers. Chute reported the Hauhau Māori had been driven inland and followed them. On 14 January he launched an attack on the strongly fortified Otapawa pā, about 8 km north of Hāwera. The pā, occupied by Tangahoe, Ngati-Ruanui and Pakakohi tribes,
7904-457: The pā, taking 60 prisoners. The pā was shelled the next day and Grey captured the pā after learning it had been abandoned, earning public praise after sustained criticism of the pace of Cameron's campaign. While Cameron made his slow advance northward along the South Taranaki coast, Warre extended his string of redoubts in the north, by April 1865 establishing posts from Pukearuhe , 50 km north of New Plymouth, to Ōpunake , 80 km south of
8008-557: The raids and villagers were shot or taken prisoner. At one village where McDonnell carried out a surprise raid, he reported 21 dead "and others could not be counted as they were buried in the burning ruins of the houses". When protests were raised over the brutality of the attacks, Premier Edward Stafford said such a mode of warfare "may not accord with the war regulations, but it is one necessary for and suited to local circumstances". With local Māori weakened and intimidated, fighting came to an end in November and an uneasy peace prevailed on
8112-660: The reckless march by 200 warriors on the Sentry Hill redoubt, 9 km north-east of New Plymouth, in a one-sided battle that cost the lives of possibly a fifth of the Māori force. The redoubt had been built in late 1863 by Captain W. B. Messenger and 120 men of the Military Settlers on the crown of a hill that was the site of an ancient pā, and garrisoned by a detachment of 75 men from the 57th Regiment under Captain Shortt, with two Coehorn mortars . The construction of
8216-402: The redoubt; we marched on upright (haere tu tonu), and as we neared the fort we chanted steadily our Pai-marire hymn. The soldiers who were all hidden behind their high parapet, did not open fire on us until we were within close range. Then the bullets came thickly among us, and close as the fingers on my hand. The soldiers had their rifles pointed through the loopholes in the parapet and between
8320-461: The region. Taranaki Base Hospital in New Plymouth is the region's largest hospital. It has a 24-hour emergency department, wards for older people's health, rehabilitation, children and young people/pediatrics, general surgery and urology, orthopedics and surgical specialties, general medicine and maternity and provides community services. It's currently undergoing a multi-million dollar development to expand its services. Hawera Hospital, one hour south,
8424-476: The region’s GDP in 2019. Taranaki has had the highest GDP per capita from 2007 onward except in 2017 when Wellington was higher. In the 2019–20 season, there were 468,000 milking cows in Taranaki, 9.5% of the country's total herd. The cows produced 185,320 tonnes of milk solids, worth $ 1,334 million at the national average farmgate price ($ 7.20 per kg). The Dairy Farming industry is the largest employer in Taranaki, comprising 5 per cent of all employees. The region
8528-669: The removal of the hearts of enemy and cannibalism, spread rapidly through the North Island from 1864, welding tribes in a bond of passionate hatred against the Pākehā. Two hui were held by Taranaki , Ngāti Ruanui , Ngā Rauru and Whanganui iwi. The first, held on 3 July 1861 at Wiriwiri near Manaia, Taranaki , resulted in most of the 1,000 people present pledging support for the Kīngitanga Movement . The second, held at Kapoaiaia near Cape Egmont in July 1862 involving 600 members, involved
8632-432: The sale was disputed by some Māori, who refused to leave. A secure route from Wanganui to Patea would form a key part of the Government's strategy for a thoroughfare between Wanganui and New Plymouth, with redoubts and military settlements to protect it along the way. Cameron's campaign became notable for its caution and slow pace, and sparked an acrimonious series of exchanges between Governor Grey and Cameron, who developed
8736-480: The sooner they can bring that on before our preparations are further matured, and our numbers increased, the greater is their chance of success." A month later Grey began planning to return Waitara to the Māori, and on 11 May issued a proclamation renouncing all government claims to the land. But he did nothing to signal his intention and on 4 May, a week before he acted, Māori began killing British troops traversing their land. The Government declared those killings to be
8840-516: The spaces on top (between bags filled with sand and earth), and thus could deliver a terrible fire upon us with perfect safety to themselves. There were two tiers of rifles blazing at us. We continued our advance, shooting and shouting our war-cries. Now we cried out the 'Hapa' ('Pass over') incantation which Hepanaia had taught us, to cause the bullets to fly harmlessly over us: 'Hapa, hapa, hapa! Hau, hau, hau! Pai-marire, rire, rire – hau!’ As we did so we held our right hands uplifted, palms frontward, on
8944-406: The tenth most populous region of New Zealand . Taranaki Region had a population of 126,015 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 8,454 people (7.2%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 16,407 people (15.0%) since the 2013 census . There were 62,184 males, 63,405 females and 429 people of other genders in 48,606 dwellings. 2.6% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age
9048-443: The terms of the truce, leaving many of the issues unresolved. Chief among those issues was (1) the legality of the sale of a 600 acres (2.4 km) block of land at Waitara , which had sparked the first war, but Māori unrest was exacerbated by (2) a new land confiscation strategy launched by the Government and (3) the emergence of a fiery nationalist religious movement. In 1861 Governor Thomas Gore Browne had promised to investigate
9152-478: The town. The redoubts brought the length of Taranaki coastline occupied to 130 km, but the forts commanded practically only the country within rifle range of their parapets. Isolated skirmishing between Māori and British forces led to raids by Warre on 13 June to destroy villages inland of Warea , while on 29 July a mix of British troops and Taranaki Mounted Volunteers returned to Warea, burning villages and engaging in several skirmish's with Māori they encountered;
9256-660: The track between New Plymouth and the Tataraimaka military post. Three weeks later Māori laid another ambush near the Poutoko Redoubt, 13 km (8.1 mi) from New Plymouth, injuring a mounted officer of the 57th Regiment. The Militia and Taranaki Rifle Volunteers were called up for guard and patrol duty around New Plymouth and in June a 50-man corps of forest rangers was formed within the Taranaki Rifles by Captain Harry Atkinson to follow Māori into
9360-560: The upper reaches of the Whanganui River including Mt Taranaki . A later deed of sale included New Plymouth and all the coastal lands of North Taranaki, including Waitara . European settlement at New Plymouth began with the arrival of the William Bryan in March 1841. European expansion beyond New Plymouth, however, was prevented by Māori opposition to selling their land, a sentiment that deepened as links strengthened with
9464-473: The west coast until June 1868, with the outbreak of the third Taranaki War, generally known as Titokowaru's War . The outcome of the armed conflict in Taranaki between 1860 and 1869 was a series of enforced confiscations of Taranaki tribal land from Māori blanketed as being in rebellion against the Government. Since 2001, the New Zealand Government has negotiated settlements with four of the eight Taranaki tribes, paying more than $ 101 million in compensation for
9568-403: The withdrawal of British troops from New Zealand began. The 70th and 65th Regiments were the first to leave the country, with Imperial regiments gradually being concentrated at Auckland. In contrast to Cameron, who preferred to operate on the coast, Chute embarked on a series of aggressive forest operations, following Māori into their strongholds and storming pā. Following orders from Grey to open
9672-480: The wounded. Cameron offered his resignation to Grey on 7 February and left New Zealand in August. Cameron's march from Wanganui, with about 2000 troops, mainly the 57th Regiment, began on 24 January and came under daylight attack that day and the next from Hauhau forces led by Patohe while camped on an open plain at Nukumaru , suffering more than 50 casualties and killing about 23 Māori. The Hauhau warriors were part of
9776-566: Was 40.4 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 25,428 people (20.2%) aged under 15 years, 20,625 (16.4%) aged 15 to 29, 55,932 (44.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 24,033 (19.1%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 83.6% European ( Pākehā ); 21.8% Māori ; 2.6% Pasifika ; 5.7% Asian ; 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English
9880-460: Was a creeping confiscation of almost a million acres (4,000 km) of land, with little distinction between the land of loyal or rebel Māori owners. The Government's war policy was opposed by the British commander, General Duncan Cameron , who clashed with Governor Sir George Grey and offered his resignation in February 1865. He left New Zealand six months later. Cameron, who viewed the war as
9984-547: Was ambushed by Māori on 23 September in retaliation, with one soldier hacked to death with a tomahawk. In September 1866 the field headquarters of the South Taranaki force was established at a redoubt built at Waihi (Normanby) and further raids were launched from it in September and October against pā and villages in the interior, including Te Pungarehu, on the western side of the Waingongoro River, Keteonetea, Te Popoia and Tirotiromoana. Villages were burned and crops destroyed in
10088-423: Was blamed on his unfamiliarity with Māori war tactics. The easy victory of the Māori over the numerically stronger British-led force gave a powerful impetus to the Hauhau movement. The heads of the slain soldiers were later discovered to have been taken to the east coast as part of a Pai Marire recruitment drive. Three weeks later, on 30 April 1864, the measure of devotion to the Hauhau movement displayed itself in
10192-446: Was considered the main stronghold of South Taranaki Hauhaus. Chute claimed 30 Māori were killed, but the deaths came at a high price: 11 of his force were killed and 20 wounded in what was describe as an impetuous frontal attack on a pā he wrongly assumed had been abandoned. The force moved northward, crossing the Waingongoro River and destroying another seven villages. On 17 January 1866 Chute launched his most ambitious campaign, leading
10296-415: Was estimated at NZ$ 9.51 billion in the year to March 2020, 2.94% of New Zealand's national GDP. The regional GDP per capita was estimated at $ 76,715 in the same period, the highest in New Zealand. Taranaki’s economy is centred around dairy farming , hydrocarbon exploration , and manufacturing (including agricultural and energy based manufacturing) with these industries making up approximately 40 percent of
10400-560: Was occupied by a company of the 57th Regiment and a company of the Otago Volunteers. Almost a fortnight later, on 6 April, a combined force of 57th Regiment and the newly formed Taranaki Military Settlers, a total of 101 men, set off from Kaitake to destroy native crops near the Ahuahu village, set amid dense bush south of Ōakura. A detachment suffered 19 casualties – seven killed and 12 wounded – after being surprised by
10504-773: Was spoken by 97.4%, Māori language by 4.5%, Samoan by 0.4% and other languages by 6.7%. No language could be spoken by 2.0% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.9, compared with 28.8% nationally. The region has had a strong Māori presence for centuries. The local iwi ( tribes ) include Ngāti Mutunga , Ngāti Maru , Ngāti Ruanui , Taranaki , Te Āti Awa , Ngā Rauru , Ngāruahinerangi and Ngāti Tama . Religious affiliations were 30.9% Christian , 0.9% Hindu , 0.5% Islam , 0.9% Māori religious beliefs , 0.4% Buddhist , 0.5% New Age , 0.1% Jewish , and 1.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 56.3%, and 8.6% of people did not answer
10608-513: Was that 48,906 (48.6%) people were employed full-time, 14,724 (14.6%) were part-time, and 2,634 (2.6%) were unemployed. Just under half the residents live in New Plymouth , with Hāwera being the next most populous town in the region. The area became home to a number of Māori tribes from the 13th century. From about 1823 the Māori began having contact with European whalers as well as traders who arrived by schooner to buy flax . Around
10712-437: Was then new, and we were all completely under its influence and firmly believed in the teaching of Te Ua and his apostles. Hepanaia Kapewhiti was at the head of the war-party. He was our prophet. He taught us the Pai-marire karakia (chant), and told us that if we repeated it as we went into battle the Pākehā bullets would not strike us. This we all believed." Led by Hepanaia, the warriors participated in sacred ceremonies around
10816-439: Was to seize the greater part of their land for European settlement through a policy of confiscation and saw that their best hope of keeping their homes, lands and status lay in taking up arms. The 1927 Royal Commission on Confiscated Land, chaired by senior Supreme Court judge Sir William Sim, concluded: "The Natives were treated as rebels and war declared against them before they had engaged in rebellion of any kind ... In their eyes
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