Octavius Hadfield
Encyclopedia
Octavius Hadfield was Archdeacon
of Kapiti
, Bishop of Wellington
from 1870 to 1893 and Primate of New Zealand
from 1890 to 1893. A missionary for thirty years, he was recognised as an authority on Maori customs and language. His views on Maori rights, expressed in several books strongly criticised the actions of the New Zealand Government.
in the Bay of Islands
. Following a request by Tamihana Te Rauparaha
and Matene Te Whiwhi for a missionary in their area, Hadfield left to set up an Anglican Mission on the Kapiti Coast in 1839. Te Āti Awa
built the first church within the Waikanae
pā which inspired other churches including Rangiātea, built by Ngati Raukawa
in Otaki
.
in 1843, where a confrontation between Te Rauparaha and group of settlers left twenty-two Europeans dead, many settlers believed an attack on then thinly populated Wellington
was possible and Hadfield was seen as a peacemaker preventing the spread of hostilities. Hadfield became far less popular when in 1860, Hadfield upheld Wiremu Kingi
's claim to the Waitara
block. The surveying of this land prior to military occupation precipitated the First Taranaki War
, and Hadfield became a leading critic of the Government in these actions.
In 1877 Wiremu Parata
took Hadfield and the Church to court over a gift of land which was not used for a school as intended; the far-reaching case Wi Parata v the Bishop of Wellington
was lost when the Treaty of Waitangi
was ruled a simply nullity.
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of Kapiti
Kapiti
Kapiti can refer to:*Kapiti Island, a small island a short distance off the New Zealand coast north of Wellington*Kapiti Coast, the stretch of coast that runs adjacent to the island.*Kapiti Line, a suburban railway in Wellington...
, Bishop of Wellington
Diocese of Wellington
The Diocese of Wellington is one of the thirteen dioceses and hui amorangi of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The Diocese covers the area between the bottom of the North Island of New Zealand up to the area of Mount Ruapehu....
from 1870 to 1893 and Primate of New Zealand
Archbishop of New Zealand
The Archbishop of New Zealand is the primate, or head, of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. However, since Whakahuihui Vercoe stepped down at the end of his two-year term as archbishop in 2006, the church has decided that three bishops shall share the position and style of...
from 1890 to 1893. A missionary for thirty years, he was recognised as an authority on Maori customs and language. His views on Maori rights, expressed in several books strongly criticised the actions of the New Zealand Government.
Work for the Church
After arriving in New Zealand in January 1839, Hadfield was stationed at PaihiaPaihia
Paihia is the main tourist town in the Bay of Islands in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located close to the historic towns of Russell, and Kerikeri, 60 kilometres north of Whangarei. The origin of the name Paihia is obscure. One, possibily apocryphal, attribution is to...
in the Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km north-west of Whangarei, it is close to the northern tip of the country....
. Following a request by Tamihana Te Rauparaha
Te Rauparaha
Te Rauparaha was a Māori rangatira and war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe who took a leading part in the Musket Wars. He was influential in the original sale of conquered Rangitane land to the New Zealand Company and was a participant in the Wairau Incident in Marlborough...
and Matene Te Whiwhi for a missionary in their area, Hadfield left to set up an Anglican Mission on the Kapiti Coast in 1839. Te Āti Awa
Te Ati Awa
Te Āti Awa is a Māori iwi with traditional bases in the Taranaki and Wellington regions of New Zealand. Approximately 17,000 people registered their affiliation to Te Āti Awa in 2001, with around 10,000 in Taranaki, 2,000 in Wellington and around 5,000 of unspecified regional location.-Geographical...
built the first church within the Waikanae
Waikanae
Waikanae is a small town on New Zealand's Kapiti Coast. The name is a Māori word meaning "The waters of the yellow eyed mullet". Another settlement called Waikanae Beach exists near Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand....
pā which inspired other churches including Rangiātea, built by Ngati Raukawa
Ngati Raukawa
Ngāti Raukawa is a Māori iwi with traditional bases in the Waikato, Taupo and Manawatū/Horowhenua regions of New Zealand. In 2006, 29,418 Māori registered their affiliation with Ngāti Raukawa.- Early History :...
in Otaki
Otaki
Otaki may refer to:*Ōtaki , a parliamentary electorate in New Zealand*Otaki, New Zealand, a town in New Zealand*Otaki River, a river in New Zealand*Ōtaki, Chiba, a town in Japan*Ōtaki, Saitama, a former village in Japan...
.
Relations between Maori and Pakeha
Following the Wairau AffrayWairau Affray
In New Zealand history, the Wairau Affray on 17 June 1843 was the first serious clash of arms between Māori and the British settlers after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and the only one to take place in the South Island...
in 1843, where a confrontation between Te Rauparaha and group of settlers left twenty-two Europeans dead, many settlers believed an attack on then thinly populated Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
was possible and Hadfield was seen as a peacemaker preventing the spread of hostilities. Hadfield became far less popular when in 1860, Hadfield upheld Wiremu Kingi
Wiremu Kingi
Wiremu Kingi Te Rangitake , Māori Chief of the Te Āti Awa Tribe, was leader of the Māori forces in the First Taranaki War....
's claim to the Waitara
Waitara, New Zealand
Waitara is the name of a town and a river in the northern part of the Taranaki Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Waitara is located just off State Highway 3, 15 km northeast of New Plymouth....
block. The surveying of this land prior to military occupation precipitated the First Taranaki War
First Taranaki War
The First Taranaki War was an armed conflict over land ownership and sovereignty that took place between Māori and the New Zealand Government in the Taranaki district of New Zealand's North Island from March 1860 to March 1861....
, and Hadfield became a leading critic of the Government in these actions.
In 1877 Wiremu Parata
Wiremu Parata
Wiremu Te Kakakura Parata, also known as Wi Parata , was a New Zealand politician....
took Hadfield and the Church to court over a gift of land which was not used for a school as intended; the far-reaching case Wi Parata v the Bishop of Wellington
Wi Parata v the Bishop of Wellington
Wi Parata v the Bishop of Wellington was a New Zealand court case of 1877 which ruled that the Treaty of Waitangi was a "simple nullity" having been signed by "primitive barbarians"....
was lost when the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
was ruled a simply nullity.