Battle of Rangiriri
Rangiriri, on the Waikato River near Lake Waikare, Waikato, New Zealand
What happened
British and colonial troops under Lieutenant-General Duncan Cameron fought Māori defenders of the Kīngitanga (Māori King movement), whose earthworks were directed by the chief Te Wharepu. During the invasion of the Waikato, about 500 Māori defenders held a line of earthworks at Rangiriri. Cameron's much larger force attacked with gunboats and artillery, and fighting went on into the night. The next morning the defenders raised a white flag expecting to talk, but the British demanded their weapons, and about 180 men were taken prisoner.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It opened the Waikato to British forces, and the government later confiscated huge areas of Māori land. In 1995 the Crown apologised for these confiscations.
What came next
Cameron's troops took the Kīngitanga capital at Ngāruawāhia on 8 December 1863. The prisoners later escaped from Kawau Island and were allowed to return home.
Did you know?
The pā (fortified site) at Rangiriri has been restored and, in 2016, was returned to Waikato-Tainui.
Timeline
- 20-21 November 1863The Battle of Rangiriri.
- 8 December 1863British troops enter Ngāruawāhia.
- 11 September 1864The prisoners escape from Kawau Island.
- 1995The Crown apologises for the land confiscations.
- 19 August 2016The battle site is returned to Waikato-Tainui.