Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

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

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

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

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

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 / Northern Advocate

Battle anniversary could become regular event

By Peter de Graaf
Northern Advocate·
11 Jan, 2016 07:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

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

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Hundreds of warriors from around the North Island performed challenges, mass haka and battle rituals on Sunday to mark the 170th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka Pa, the final conflict of the Northern War. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Hundreds of warriors from around the North Island performed challenges, mass haka and battle rituals on Sunday to mark the 170th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka Pa, the final conflict of the Northern War. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Commemorations marking the Battle of Ruapekapeka Pa - the final clash between Maori and British forces in the Northern War - could become a regular event following a spectacular gathering at the battle site south of Kawakawa.

Watch a video of one of the haka:

Up to 400 warriors from around the North Island remembered the 170th anniversary, starting at 2am on Sunday with battle rituals, a dawn ceremony, challenges for arriving dignitaries, mass haka, speeches and the firing of replica 18th Century mortars.

Many taking part were descendants of Ngati Hine chief Te Ruki Kawiti, who built what is regarded as the pinnacle of Maori military engineering. They were joined by war parties from Tainui, Tauranga Moana and Tuhoe.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Dignitaries included representatives of the Kingitanga movement, Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell and MPs Peeni Henare, Kelvin Davis, Nanaia Mahuta and Pita Paraone. They accepted three spine-tingling challenges and passed between rows of hundreds of fierce warriors, their bodies coated in mud, red ochre and paint.

Kawiti descendant Pita Tipene said the Northern War was really about self determination for Maori and, in Kawiti's case, Ngati Hine. Kawiti feared Maori would be assimilated and their culture would be lost.

"He was prepared to put his own life, and his people's, on the line to protect their essence and particularly their land," Mr Tipene said.

Check out some of the photos here:

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Image 1 of 28:

One of the most significant outcomes of the battle, and subsequent peace agreement, was that Ngati Hine retained much of its land - unlike iwi further south whose land had been confiscated in the aftermath of war.

Former MP Shane Jones said the event was long overdue. Battle sites such as Ohaeawai, Otuihau and Ruapekapeka could be major attractions and more importantly reminded a new generation about a significant but often neglected chapter of Northland's history.

Several speakers at the dawn ceremony called for the commemorations to be held every year. Given the power and interest of the young people involved on Sunday, Mr Jones said he saw every chance of that happening.

Ms Mahuta and Mr Flavell have also called for a national day to remember the New Zealand wars.

Discover more

Commemorations honour formidable pa design

17 Dec 04:00 AM

Bay News Bites: Bumper week in the Bay

06 Jan 04:13 AM

UB40 moved by Treaty story

06 Jan 07:30 PM

Works to ease traffic jams

12 Jan 09:00 PM

Even more photos here:

Image 1 of 28:

The Battle of Ruapekapeka Pa was the last of a series of skirmishes and battles that began with the Battle of Kororareka in 1845, famously signalled by Hone Heke's felling of the flagpole.

British forces suffered a disastrous rout at Ohaeawai then turned their attention to Ruapekapeka, subjecting the pa to a two-week bombardment until its defences were finally breached on January 10, 1846.

The outcome was inconclusive as the defenders, who were outnumbered four to one, slipped away before the pa could be occupied.

The British studied Kawiti's pa, with its complex system of palisades, trenches and tunnels, and applied his ideas in the Crimean War and World War I.

The site is administered by the Department of Conservation as a historic reserve. Many of the pits, tunnels and earth defences are still intact.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Operations manager Sue Reed-Thomas said Ruapekapeka was one of DoC's most iconic historic reserves and one of the best preserved.

In 2008 Ruapekapeka Pa was formally recognised by the NZ Institute of Professional Engineers for outstanding innovation in engineering.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales

Northern Advocate

'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi

Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales
Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales

More than 170 customers south of Cape Rēinga are still without power.

17 Jul 08:26 AM
'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi
Northern Advocate

'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi

17 Jul 06:02 AM
Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime
Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime

17 Jul 04:00 AM


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
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • 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
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP