At Te Ranga the British sought revenge for their humiliating defeat at the battle of Gate Pā
Gate Pa
Events In History
29 April 1864
The British attacked the Ngāi Te Rangi stronghold of Pukehinahina (Gate Pā), defended by just 230 Māori fighters, after a heavy artillery bombardment.
Articles
War in Tauranga
During the first half of 1864 the focus of the New Zealand Wars shifted from Waikato to Tauranga. In this phase of the conflict the British suffered a catastrophic defeat at Pukehinahina – better known as the Gate Pā – before inflicting heavy losses on a Māori force at Te Ranga. Read the full article
Page 1 - War in Tauranga
During the first half of 1864 the focus of the New Zealand Wars shifted from Waikato to Tauranga. In this phase of the conflict the British suffered a catastrophic defeat at
Page 3 - Gate Pā
Gate Pā was a major disaster for the British military, who suffered twice the casualties of the Māori
Page 5 - Te Ranga
Unlike at Gate Pā, where the British assault was concentrated on two points, at Te Ranga they were able to attack all along the line of
Site of an important battle, 3km south of Tauranga. After British and colonial forces landed at Te Papa in 1864, Tauranga Māori built a strong pā on the Pukehinahina ridge. British forces shelled the pā on 29 April but were repulsed with heavy losses, despite an overwhelming advantage in numbers (over 1,600 against about 200). Māori forces departed during the night, but two months later were overcome at a partly finished pā at Te Ranga, a short distance inland.
Meaning of place name
Māori constructed a pā on the rise, which they knew as Pukehinahina. After Archdeacon A.N. Brown purchased Te Papa promontory for the Church Missionary Society, the inland limit of the area was defined by a ditch across a narrow neck of land. A bridge over the ditch was closed by a gate, hence the name Gate Pā.
