On 17 June 1843, the Battle of Wairau, or Wairau Affray, was fought between the British under Arthur Wakefield and Henry Thompson against the Maori under Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeta during the New Zealand Wars.
Why did it happen?
On 6 February 1840, the British Empire signed a treaty with the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, the Maori, known as the Treaty of Waitangi. This treaty agreed that while the Maori could keep ownership of their lands, the country would become part of the British Empire. However, in 1843, the New Zealand Company in Nelson was eager to purchase land in the Wairau Valley under the control of the Ngati Toa chiefs Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeta. When New Zealand Company surveyors were sent to the Wairau Valley to inspect the land on 25 April, Te Rauparaha ordered a halt to the survey and burned the surveyors' shelters. In response, Arthur Wakefield, Henry Thompson and 49 settlers were sent to arrest Te Rauparaha.
Who was involved?
The British force at Wairau numbered 49 settlers. The British settlers under Arthur Wakefield and Henry Thompson were armed with muskets, although they were almost all militarily inexperienced in their use. They were positioned on the eastern side of the Tuamarina stream with deep scrub bushes partially hiding their forces. The Maori force at Wairau numbered 90 warriors and civilians. Led by Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeta, these Ngati Toa warriors were veterans of the Musket Wars who had occupied the Wairau Valley since 1827. They were all armed with muskets, mere (clubs), and tomahawks.
What happened?
On the morning of 17 June, the British settlers crossed the Tuamarina Stream to exchange words with Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeta. However, after Henry Thompson presented handcuffs to arrest Te Rauparaha, he resisted, and Thompson ordered his men to open fire. In the subsequent battle, four people on both sides were killed, including Te Rangihaeta’s wife, Te Rongo. The surviving British settlers then fled towards the hill on the other side of Tuamarina Stream, waving white handkerchiefs as white flags of surrender. After receiving consent from Te Rauparaha, Te Rangihaeta exacted utu for the death of his wife and killed 18 British settlers with blows to the head with his mere. The remaining 27 British settlers escaped north back to Nelson.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Wairau was a Maori victory. It was the first major battle of the New Zealand Wars and the only armed conflict between Maori and British in the South Island. Over the next two years, the relationship between the Maori and the British deteriorated further until open war was declared between North Island Maori and the British in 1845. In the Hutt Valley, disputes over land purchases led to battles between the British under George Grey and Te Rangihaeata – the victor at Wairau. The Hutt Valley campaign also led to the arrest of Te Rauparaha in 1846 over dubious charges of aiding the Maori with reinforcements. Although he was eventually released in 1848, Te Rauparaha never regained his former power and died in 1849.
Bibliography
Crutchley, Olwyn. “Wairau incident map.” New Zealand History. Last revised 2006. www.nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/wairau-incident-map
Dalley, Bronwyn. & McLean, Gavin. Frontier of Dreams: The Story of New Zealand. Auckland, Hodder Moa, 2005.
O’Malley, Vincent. Voices from the New Zealand Wars: He Reo No Nga Pakanga O Aotearoa. Wellington, Bridget Williams Books, 2021.
Stephens, Tainui. The New Zealand Wars: Kings and Empires. New Zealand, Landmark Productions, 1998. DVD.
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