Victoria Cross recipient Willie Apiata is framed by warriors of the mass haka group Te Tira Taua at the dedication of memorial to 12 British soldiers who died in the 1846 Battle of Te Ruapekapeka, at the 175th anniversary in 2021. The 180th commemoration of the battle will be held in January 2026.
Victoria Cross recipient Willie Apiata is framed by warriors of the mass haka group Te Tira Taua at the dedication of memorial to 12 British soldiers who died in the 1846 Battle of Te Ruapekapeka, at the 175th anniversary in 2021. The 180th commemoration of the battle will be held in January 2026.
It was one of the most important battles of the Northern War and early next year the 180th anniversary of the Battle of Te Ruapekapeka will be commemorated with a three-day event in the Bay of Islands.
Hundreds are expected to descend on the areato mark the final engagement of the 1845-46 Northern War.
Events will be held primarily at the Kawiti Marae, Waiomio and Te Ruapekapeka pā site.
While the outcome of the battle was inconclusive, its ripples continue to be felt today because it pitched Māori against Pākehā and Māori against Māori in the historic engagement.
Te Komiti Whakahaere (organising committee) for the commemorations of the Northern Wars is inviting all people to join the 180th Commemorations of the Battle of Te Ruapekapeka.
The commemorations will start at 10.30am on January 9, with a pōwhiri held for all the people of Taitokerau at the Kawiti Marae, Waiomio, located just south of Kawakawa. This will be followed by a wānanga where speakers are invited to outline key narratives of the 1845/46 battles.
On January 10, at 10am, again at the Kawiti Marae, a pōwhiri will be held for ngā iwi o te motu. There will be a pōwhiri there for dignitaries at 2pm.
After the two pōwhiri, the committee will share more narratives relating to Te Ruapekapeka and the Northern Wars. The intention is to finish in the late afternoon, in preparation for a very early start the next morning.
The battle for Ruapekapeka pā in 1846 was the final engagement of the 1845-46 Northern War. The 180th anniversary will be marked over three days in the Bay of Islands.
On January 11, the focus will be on Te Ruapekapeka pā. The programme for the day includes the unveiling of a Pouihi located at the intersection of State Highway 1 and Ruapekapeka Rd, with the ceremony beginning at 4am. The procession will then move to the DoC car park at Te Ruapekapeka and walk to the area immediately below the pā, where newly erected Tūpuna Pou are situated and formal speeches will be held. The unveiling ceremony for the pou is scheduled to begin at 5am.
The gathering will then proceed up the pathway to the rear of the pā where a flag-raising ceremony, haka, speeches and concluding karakia will take place.
A hāngī breakfast will follow which, by 10am, will effectively bring the commemorations to an end.
Guided tours of the pā are being offered for those who are interested.
A force of around 1300 British troops and 400 Māori began to advance on Ruapekapeka in early December 1845.
After hauling 30 tonnes of artillery and supplies over nearly 30 km of rugged country, the British force assembled before Ruapekapeka – “the bat’s nest”. The highly intricate pā with tunnels, rifle pits and trenches was surrounded by a strong palisade, but its garrison was outnumbered four to one. The British had three naval 32-pounder cannons, an 18-pounder, two howitzers and a number of mortar and rocket tubes. Te Ruki Kawiti had an ancient 12-pounder (which was destroyed shortly after the British began shelling the pā) and a 4-pounder.
A full-scale bombardment on January 10 created three small breaches in the palisade. The end of the battle is shrouded in controversy. The following day, January 11, scouts discovered that only Kawiti and around a dozen men were still inside the pā. When troops attacked, this group fled into nearby bush after firing a volley. When the British followed, they were fired on from hidden positions. Fighting intensified briefly and Kawiti’s men seemed to be trying to retake the pā. The conflict fizzled out when the British refused to be lured into the bush. A dozen British were killed, and rather more Māori. Some of the British may have been shot by their own side as they scoured the pā for non-existent loot.
