Defence of Pukekohe East 1863
Encyclopedia
The Defence of Pukekohe
East was an action during the
Invasion of the Waikato, part of the New Zealand Wars. On 13 September and 14 September 1863, 11 settlers and 6 militia men inside a half completed stockade around the Pukekohe East church held off a Māori taua
or war party of approximately 200 men from Ngāti Maniapoto
and Ngāti Pou iwi
, until they were relieved by detachments of the 18th, 65th and 70th Regiments. In a series of actions around the stockade the taua sustained 20% casualties and retreated.
) settled in New Zealand between 1830 and 1860, by which time British settlers outnumbered the native Māori by more than two to one. Europeans were initially welcomed by the native Māori. However disputes over land, sovereignty and mana
lead to skirmishes between Europeans and pro and anti European Maori, known as the New Zealand Wars, notably in the north in the 1840s, in Taranaki from 1860 and in the Waikato
in 1863-1865. In the Waikato, south of the British settlement at Auckland
, Māori formed the Kingi Movement. Kingitanga involved adopting European culture in order to preserve their own people: Kingites established a newspaper, a bank, and a parliament, as well as electing a king. These last two actions were seen as threatening British sovereignty, leading Governor Sir George Grey
to invade the Waikato.
East lies on the rim of a giant volcanic crater, south east of Auckland. Although potentially fertile, the land remained in virgin forest, or bush
, and was never densely populated. In the 1830s, those Māori who had lived closest were defeated by Hongi Hika
's Ngapuhi
iwi, the survivors abandoning their settlements and retreating south. When settler government came to grant titles to the land this history lead to dispute over boundaries and ownership. The land was first sold to Europeans in 1843, as part of the general land speculation in the Auckland area which seized the European settlers. Not until 1853 were disputes between different Māori claimants resolved and was the area first settled. Families of farmers built houses and began to clear the land but this process was far from complete when war broke out.
and totara wood. These were not bulletproof. When the church was opened of 5 April 1863, this was the largest building and centre of the community - although it was just 30 feet (9.1 m) by 15 feet (4.6 m), excluding porch and belfry. The church stands on the high ground of the crater rim, in what would have been a natural defensive position, but for the dense bush which still came uncomfortably close, except to the south, where land had been cleared for a cemetery.
. The settlers of Pukekohe East, a few miles away, received no official notice - they were informed that afternoon by Reverend Norrie, who had conducted a service for the soldiers. The 65th Regiment advanced through their settlements later that day.
On Wednesday 14 July, two settlers at nearby Ramarama were killed by Māori raiders, which illustrated the vulnerability of Pukekohe East. Many families, and virtually all women and children were evacuated. Those men who remained behind decided to construct a stockade around the church, as a refuge in the event of attack. During the next 3 weeks a further 13 settlers were killed on isolated farms in the area south of Auckland.
. Gaps between logs were left for firing positions. The stockade was to be 7 feet (2.1 m) high, but was not completed in September, at which time walls were just over five feet, forcing defenders to stoop. Work had been stopped by Lieutenant Daniel Lusk, who conducted an inspection of the amateur settlers work on 31 August. Lt. Lusk ordered a moat dug around the outside, the earth being piled against the wall. A trench 3-4 feet deep and 6 feet (1.8 m) wide had been completed by the attack. Bush close to the south-eastern corner was also to ordered to be cleared. The 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) around the church was cleared in the days before the attack, but large stumps and low growth left, providing cover and concealment.
. The defenders estimated the taua contained 400 warriors, but Te Huia Raureti estimates it was between 170 and 200 strong. They comprised Ngāti Maniapoto, with Ngāti Pou and a few northern Waikato men. The taua assembled at Meremere
on 12 September and paddled up the Waikato River
in three war canoes, or waka
. The party launched an abortive attack on the Alexandra Redoubt, then marched to the north, keeping inside bush to the west of Pokeno, where they spent the night.
According to Te Huia Raureti, Raureti Paiaka and Hopa te Rangianini said ‘In the battle to come let us confine ourselves strictly to fighting; let no one touch anything in the settlers’ houses, or their stock, or otherwise interfere with their property.’ A dispute broke out within the taua after Ngāti Maniapoto under Wahanui Huatare disregarded this wish and looted the Scott house.
The defence of Pukekohe East is interesting as one of the few occasions in which Māori attacked a European fortification - the more so in that they obtained more than 10 to 1 superiority in numbers, while the fortification was designed and constructed by amateurs, undermanned and incomplete at the time of attack.
The New Zealand Wars, particularly in the 1860s, can be seen simplistically as a series of sieges of defended Māori pas. These and Māori tactics have been highly rated by New Zealand military historians, while the mixed success of Pakeha armies attacking pas has been attributed to European infexibility rooted in assumptions of cultural superiority. The defence of Pukekohe East demonstrates neither side enjoyed a monopoly on offensive failures.
Pukekohe
Pukekohe is a town in the Auckland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located at the southern edge of the Auckland Region, it is approximately 50 kilometres south of Auckland City, between the southern shore of the Manukau Harbour and the mouth of the Waikato River. The hills of Pukekohe...
East was an action during the
Invasion of the Waikato, part of the New Zealand Wars. On 13 September and 14 September 1863, 11 settlers and 6 militia men inside a half completed stockade around the Pukekohe East church held off a Māori taua
Taua
A taua is a war party in the tradition of the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. Contemporary knowledge of taua is gleaned from missionary observations and writings during the Musket Wars of the early 19th century and the later New Zealand wars....
or war party of approximately 200 men from Ngāti Maniapoto
Ngati Maniapoto
Ngāti Maniapoto is an iwi 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 back to people who arrived in New Zealand on the waka Tainui...
and Ngāti Pou iwi
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
, until they were relieved by detachments of the 18th, 65th and 70th Regiments. In a series of actions around the stockade the taua sustained 20% casualties and retreated.
Background
Many Europeans (or PākehāPakeha
Pākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...
) settled in New Zealand between 1830 and 1860, by which time British settlers outnumbered the native Māori by more than two to one. Europeans were initially welcomed by the native Māori. However disputes over land, sovereignty and mana
Mana
Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....
lead to skirmishes between Europeans and pro and anti European Maori, known as the New Zealand Wars, notably in the north in the 1840s, in Taranaki from 1860 and in the Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
in 1863-1865. In the Waikato, south of the British settlement at Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, Māori formed the Kingi Movement. Kingitanga involved adopting European culture in order to preserve their own people: Kingites established a newspaper, a bank, and a parliament, as well as electing a king. These last two actions were seen as threatening British sovereignty, leading Governor Sir George Grey
Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet
Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet, PC was a British Whig politician. He held office under four Prime Ministers, Lord Melbourne, Lord John Russell, Lord Aberdeen, and Lord Palmerston, and notably served three times as Home Secretary.-Background and education:Grey was the only son of Sir George Grey, 1st...
to invade the Waikato.
Pukekohe East
PukekohePukekohe
Pukekohe is a town in the Auckland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located at the southern edge of the Auckland Region, it is approximately 50 kilometres south of Auckland City, between the southern shore of the Manukau Harbour and the mouth of the Waikato River. The hills of Pukekohe...
East lies on the rim of a giant volcanic crater, south east of Auckland. Although potentially fertile, the land remained in virgin forest, or bush
The Bush
"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.-Australia:The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly...
, and was never densely populated. In the 1830s, those Māori who had lived closest were defeated by Hongi Hika
Hongi Hika
Hongi Hika was a New Zealand Māori rangatira and war leader of the Ngāpuhi iwi . Hongi Hika used European weapons to overrun much of northern New Zealand in the first of the Musket Wars...
's Ngapuhi
Ngapuhi
Ngāpuhi is a Māori iwi located in the Northland region of New Zealand, and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands and Whāngārei.Ngāpuhi has the largest affiliation of any New Zealand iwi, with 122,214 people registered , and formed from 150 hapu, with 55 marae.-Foundations:The founding...
iwi, the survivors abandoning their settlements and retreating south. When settler government came to grant titles to the land this history lead to dispute over boundaries and ownership. The land was first sold to Europeans in 1843, as part of the general land speculation in the Auckland area which seized the European settlers. Not until 1853 were disputes between different Māori claimants resolved and was the area first settled. Families of farmers built houses and began to clear the land but this process was far from complete when war broke out.
The church
The young settlement included many Presbyterian Scots. They resolved to build a Presbyterian church in 1861, undertaking the majority of the work themselves and paying for the cost of £126 2s 5d by subscription. Construction was of ¾ inch weatherboards of rimuDacrydium cupressinum
Dacrydium cupressinum, commonly known as rimu, is a large evergreen coniferous tree endemic to the forests of New Zealand. It is a member of the southern conifer group, the podocarps. The former name "red pine" has fallen out of common use....
and totara wood. These were not bulletproof. When the church was opened of 5 April 1863, this was the largest building and centre of the community - although it was just 30 feet (9.1 m) by 15 feet (4.6 m), excluding porch and belfry. The church stands on the high ground of the crater rim, in what would have been a natural defensive position, but for the dense bush which still came uncomfortably close, except to the south, where land had been cleared for a cemetery.
War in the Waikato
On Sunday 12 July 1863 General Cameron's Army advanced into Waikato territory from its frontier base of PokenoPokeno
Pokeno is a small town in New Zealand, located 50 kilometres southeast of Auckland. State Highway 1 originally ran through the town, but the upgrading of the highway in 1992 to expressway standards mean that the town has been bypassed....
. The settlers of Pukekohe East, a few miles away, received no official notice - they were informed that afternoon by Reverend Norrie, who had conducted a service for the soldiers. The 65th Regiment advanced through their settlements later that day.
On Wednesday 14 July, two settlers at nearby Ramarama were killed by Māori raiders, which illustrated the vulnerability of Pukekohe East. Many families, and virtually all women and children were evacuated. Those men who remained behind decided to construct a stockade around the church, as a refuge in the event of attack. During the next 3 weeks a further 13 settlers were killed on isolated farms in the area south of Auckland.
The stockade
The stockade was built 10 feet (3 m) from the wall of the church, excepting small bastions on the north-western and south-eastern corners, to allow enfilading fire. The entrance was built into the south-eastern corner, visitors being channelled though a chicane exposed to the defenders' fire. The walls were made of small logs – on average 6 inches (152.4 mm) in diameter – just enough to stop a musket ball. These were laid horizontally, and nailed to posts, instead of vertically as was the Māori custom in their forts, or paPa (Maori)
The word pā can refer to any Māori village or settlement, but in traditional use it referred to hillforts fortified with palisades and defensive terraces and also to fortified villages. They first came into being about 1450. They are located mainly in the North Island north of lake Taupo...
. Gaps between logs were left for firing positions. The stockade was to be 7 feet (2.1 m) high, but was not completed in September, at which time walls were just over five feet, forcing defenders to stoop. Work had been stopped by Lieutenant Daniel Lusk, who conducted an inspection of the amateur settlers work on 31 August. Lt. Lusk ordered a moat dug around the outside, the earth being piled against the wall. A trench 3-4 feet deep and 6 feet (1.8 m) wide had been completed by the attack. Bush close to the south-eastern corner was also to ordered to be cleared. The 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) around the church was cleared in the days before the attack, but large stumps and low growth left, providing cover and concealment.
The taua
Most knowledge of the taua comes from an interview with a survivor, Te Huia Raureti, by historian James CowanJames Cowan (New Zealand writer)
James Cowan was a New Zealand non-fiction writer, noted for his books on colonial history and Maori ethnography...
. The defenders estimated the taua contained 400 warriors, but Te Huia Raureti estimates it was between 170 and 200 strong. They comprised Ngāti Maniapoto, with Ngāti Pou and a few northern Waikato men. The taua assembled at Meremere
Meremere
Meremere is a small town in the northern Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the east bank of the Waikato River, 50 kilometres north of Hamilton....
on 12 September and paddled up the Waikato River
Waikato River
The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand. In the North Island, it runs for 425 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and emptying into Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It drains Taupo at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the...
in three war canoes, or waka
Waka (canoe)
Waka are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes used for fishing and river travel, to large decorated war canoes up to long...
. The party launched an abortive attack on the Alexandra Redoubt, then marched to the north, keeping inside bush to the west of Pokeno, where they spent the night.
According to Te Huia Raureti, Raureti Paiaka and Hopa te Rangianini said ‘In the battle to come let us confine ourselves strictly to fighting; let no one touch anything in the settlers’ houses, or their stock, or otherwise interfere with their property.’ A dispute broke out within the taua after Ngāti Maniapoto under Wahanui Huatare disregarded this wish and looted the Scott house.
Conclusions
The church still stands today. Bullet holes can be seen in the walls and porch, and in the gravestone of Betsy Hodge.The defence of Pukekohe East is interesting as one of the few occasions in which Māori attacked a European fortification - the more so in that they obtained more than 10 to 1 superiority in numbers, while the fortification was designed and constructed by amateurs, undermanned and incomplete at the time of attack.
The New Zealand Wars, particularly in the 1860s, can be seen simplistically as a series of sieges of defended Māori pas. These and Māori tactics have been highly rated by New Zealand military historians, while the mixed success of Pakeha armies attacking pas has been attributed to European infexibility rooted in assumptions of cultural superiority. The defence of Pukekohe East demonstrates neither side enjoyed a monopoly on offensive failures.
Sources
- James Cowan. The New Zealand Wars: A History of the Māori Campaigns and the Pioneering Period. R.E. Owen, Wellington, 1922.
- Tim Ryan, "War comes to Pukekohe", in Susanne Stone, Editor, The Original Pukekohe, W.J. Deed Printing Ltd, Waiuku, 2005