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Te Rauparaha

Te Rauparaha was a Ngati Toa chief and warrior. Sometimes called the 'Napoleon of the Southern Hemisphere', he ruled the lower end of the North Island from his base at Kapiti Island for the best part of 20 years

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Today in History

26 January

1984 Floods devastate Southland

A record one-day total of 84.8 mm of rain had by 9 p.m. caused extensive surface flooding in the streets of Invercargill, Riverton, Otautau, Tuatapere and Bluff. more...

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1844 Governor FitzRoy arrives to investigate Wairau incident

Faced with demands for revenge after the deaths of 22 settlers in an incident in the Wairau Valley, Governor FitzRoy decided that the Maori had been provoked by the unreasonable actions of the Europeans. more...