Stalemate - War in Taranaki 1860-63

The ‘last bastion’

Sap at Te Arei today

From December 1860 Major General Pratt's attention turned to the pre-European pa of Pukerangiora. Standing high above the left bank of the Waitara River, it was here that Te Atiawa had suffered a major defeat at the hands of Waikato iwi in 1831. It was behind Hapurona’s defensive line on the edge of the forest east of New Plymouth. These defences were centred initially on two strong pa - Matarikoriko and Huirangi – with a third pa, Te Arei (The Barrier), providing what military historian Chris Pugsley has described as the ‘last bastion' of Te Atiawa.

Progress was slow, but it was being made. By the end of January 1861 Maori had abandoned both Matarikoriko and Huirangi. On 23 January a combined Te Atiawa-Waikato force suffered a heavy defeat in a desperate attack on No. 3 Redoubt.

Te Arei grave

By 10 February 1200 British troops had established No. 6 Redoubt 750 metres from Te Arei. A month later the distance was down to 100 metres but victory remained elusive. While another line of defence was being constructed behind Te Arei, this was the last position overlooking the disputed land at Waitara.

Peace breaks out

As the first anniversary of the war beginning approached Governor Gore Browne could see little likelihood of victory coming any time soon. Pratt was resistant to the notion of a truce. A circuit breaker arrived in the shape of Ngati Haua leader Wiremu Tamihana. Kingi agreed to leave negotiations in Tamihana’s hands but insisted that Waitara had to be the subject of a judicial inquiry; he would not make peace until Waitara was returned. Tamihana successfully concluded a truce on 18 March 1861. While Kingi did not sign the 'terms of peace' that followed, Hapurona did.

Under the terms of the truce agreement, Taranaki Maori were to hand over plundered property and give up those who had killed unarmed civilians. They were also expected to formally submit to the Queen's authority. For its part, the Crown agreed to investigate the Waitara purchase. In reality few Te Atiawa ever took the Oath and there was no sign of plunder being returned or murderers given up. Europeans were denied access across Maori land - hardly an acknowledgement of the Queen’s authority. The 4000-acre Tataraimaka block south-west of New Plymouth was seized by Maori as a bargaining chip while Waitara was investigated.

Costs of war

Many settlers had initially supported the war as a way of breaking the deadlock in Taranaki. Some now questioned the cost in money and lives. The local economy was in tatters. British military casualties were 238 killed or wounded. Some 200 settler farms had been destroyed along with £200,000 worth of property. The cramped conditions in New Plymouth contributed to the spread of disease which claimed 120 lives. Emigration to New Zealand slowed dramatically. Despite these costs, the original reasons for fighting remained largely unresolved.

Maori had also lost kainga, crops and lives. Though Maori casualties were often exaggerated by the authorities it is likely that the number of Maori killed or wounded exceded that of their foe.

Historian Danny Keenan maintains that ‘the assertion of mana whenua – the sovereign ownership of land – was integral to Kingi’s stance … [while] to Gore Browne, the issue was simple: the customary rights of Maori, as expressed through the land, must give way to the Crown’s authority.’ Believing that a long-term solution would require subduing the Waikato, Gore Browne started preparing to invade the heart of the Kingitanga. But he was dismissed and replaced by George Grey before he could do so.