Bay gathering commemorates 1864 Battle of Te Ranga

About 50 people attended the 153rd commemoration of the battle of Te Ranga. Photo/George Novak

About 50 people of all ages gathered at Te Ranga Reserve for the 153rd commemoration of the Battle of Te Ranga yesterday.Western Bay mayor Garry Webber and Tauranga mayor Greg Brownless attended the commemorations at the battle site in Pyes Pa where British forces decisively defeated local Maori on June 21, 1864.

More than 100 Maori warriors and over a dozen British soldiers died at Te Ranga, which was one of the last major battles in the Waikato and Tauranga campaigns.

Kaumatua and Ngai Tamarawaho historian Des Tata told the poignant story of the battle and massacre at the commemorations 153 years on from the conflict.

Mr Tata said 500 troops fought in the battle with just one gun. "A six-pounder."

He said Maori warriors dug trenches at the battle site that were 1.2m wide and about 3.6m long.

"They dug them in a quarter-moon, which was different to Gate Pa's, which were dug in straight lines."

Mr Tata described a significant moment in the battle when the Maori soldiers walked out of the trenches towards the British.

"They could not believe what they saw," he said. "There were women and children, but by then all the women and children had gone.

"The men started to walk out. You can imagine walking back out to face 500 men with their rifles in front of them. That is what happened here."

Mr Tata said the men walked out from the trenches stoically.

"They walked out with their heads low, knowing they were taking their own lives," he said.

"By then 140 men had died, they all died out there. That was the end of that moment in time."

Mr Tata said when the British soldiers saw the hundreds of men walking towards them without weapons, they did not want to shoot any more.

"But they were told to pick their guns back up and keep on firing."

During that moment, a British soldier found a dying Maori warrior lying on the battle ground, said Mr Tata.

"He said to the man, 'You knew we were an overwhelming force, so why did you not stop?' and the man said, 'If i am to die, let it be for the land'.

"That is one of the famous lines," said Mr Tata.

Mr Webber said yesterday the group was standing on this commemorative site where the Battle of Te Ranga took place.

"It is part of our regional history. This is where we should have decided enough was enough."

The period of 1860 to 1870 was a tumultuous time in the world, said Mr Webber, who addressed the commemorative crowd.

"The American Civil War and the Franco/Prussian War were happening at the same time as our Te Werenga battles.

"Standing here today we should be mindful that the rules of engagement 150 years ago were a reflection of attitudes at that time and we should judge those events of 150 years ago in that context."

Mr Webber went on to read quotes from famous speeches including Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address at the site of the American Civil War and Karl Marx's published views on the state of the French nation in 1870 after the Franco/Prussian War.

"For those of us here today, our real focus must be on creating a better community for the generations to come."

The world had changed significantly in the past 150 years, said Mr Webber.

"Many of the families that fought each other 150 years ago are today joined together in very close-knit whanau [family] . . .

"In reality, today we are joined at the heart. In my opinion it is time for all of us to forgive what happened all those years ago and to focus on tomorrow and what we can do to build better communities for our tamariki [children].

"In summary, it is right and proper that we commemorate the past but it is even more important that we strive together to create a better future for our tamariki."

The vicar of St George's Anglican Church in Gate Pa, the Rev John Hebenton, shared a Roman's reflection on battle.

Mr Brownless led two minutes of silence to conclude the commemorations.