Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Opinion: About time land wars noted

NZME. regionals
25 Aug, 2016 09:30 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Crowds gathered in Pyes Pa to commemorate the 152nd anniversary of the Battle of Te Ranga in June. Des Tata (pictured) tells the story of the battle to people gathered at the Joyce Rd site. Photo/file

Crowds gathered in Pyes Pa to commemorate the 152nd anniversary of the Battle of Te Ranga in June. Des Tata (pictured) tells the story of the battle to people gathered at the Joyce Rd site. Photo/file

The announcement that a commemoration day for the New Zealand Land Wars is to be established has a half-hearted feel about it.

Deputy Prime Minister Bill English this week confirmed that, after discussion with the Maori Party, a commemoration day would be approved. However, it will not be a public holiday and will be a locally driven event.

Prime Minister John Key, perhaps in a bid to allay business fears, has also stressed there would be no day off.

It's not before time. You have to question why we continue to celebrate Guy Fawkes but do not commemorate those who died in the Land Wars.

I agree that commemorations should be driven from a local level - the success of recent commemorations of two of the bloodiest battles to take place in Tauranga at Gate Pa (Pukehinahina) and Te Ranga show that there is an interest in this part of our history.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Perhaps, as Labour leader Andrew Little has suggested, regions could switch their provincial holiday for a day off to commemorate the wars and the ways these events shaped local history. It would also perhaps encourage more schools to teach this part of our history. I learned very little about it at school. If it wasn't for a history teacher who had a deep interest in the subject, I doubt I would have learned anything about the Land Wars and associated land confiscations.

Hopefully the commemorations, in whatever form they eventually take, will encourage greater cultural understanding and that can only be a good thing.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Infrastructure leaders gather in Tauranga to tackle NZ's future challenges

Bay of Plenty Times

Coroner urges caution after fatal Mt Ruapehu skiing accident

Bay of Plenty Times

Roading challenge: Moving 280-tonne crane for bridge build


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Infrastructure leaders gather in Tauranga to tackle NZ's future challenges
Bay of Plenty Times

Infrastructure leaders gather in Tauranga to tackle NZ's future challenges

Over 600 attendees are expected, including executives and political representatives.

22 Jul 01:41 AM
Coroner urges caution after fatal Mt Ruapehu skiing accident
Bay of Plenty Times

Coroner urges caution after fatal Mt Ruapehu skiing accident

22 Jul 12:25 AM
Roading challenge: Moving 280-tonne crane for bridge build
Bay of Plenty Times

Roading challenge: Moving 280-tonne crane for bridge build

21 Jul 11:09 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP