The Northern War
The image of Hone Heke chopping down the British flag on Maiki hill above Kororareka in 1845 is the enduring symbol of the Northern War. Other names given to this conflict include the 'Flagstaff War' and 'Hone Heke's Rebellion'.
The Northern War was the first serious challenge to the Crown in the years after the Treaty of Waitangi. Its opening shots marked the beginning of the wider North Island conflicts often referred to as the New Zealand Wars.
This complex ‘three-way war’ involved fighting between two factions of Ngapuhi as well as clashes with British forces. The war began with the sacking of Kororareka (Russell), then New Zealand’s fifth largest town. Fighting followed at Puketutu in May. One of the most significant battles of the war – at Te Ahuahu in June – did not involve any British forces. Following the British defeat at Ohaeawai in July the fighting ended after the inconclusive battle at Ruapekpeka in January 1846.
Next page: Origins of the Northern War
