Although he spent only six years in this country, the adventurous soldier Gustavus Ferdinand von Tempsky was one of 19th-century New Zealand's most colourful characters.
Gustavus Von Tempsky
Personal details
Lifetime:
15 Feb 1828 – 7 Sep 1868
Biography
Events In History
7 September 1868
Gustavus von Tempsky was killed during an assault on Tītokowaru's south Taranaki pā. His exploits during the New Zealand Wars had made the Prussian soldier of fortune a folk hero for many European settlers.