Today, a colleague and I drove around two hours southeast from Auckland to visit our branch in Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty. After we had completed all our work-related activities and grabbed a rather nice lunch with the branch manager, I dragged my unfortunate companion off course to visit the small historic reserve that marks the location of one of the most significant engagements in the Maori or New Zealand Land Wars. (Actually, he didn't really mind too much!)
We actually travelled both routes, the grey one down and the blue one back
The location of the reserve - right in the middle of the city of Tauranga, as you can see. Located nearby is a Gate Pa School and also a Gate Pa Shopping Mall!
Entrance to the reserve with Maori carvings along the side of Cameron Road (named after the commanding British general)
There were several information signs, I only photographed a couple
Memorial area with flagpole etc - I assume the church may have been built on the site of the actual Pa
Some cool carvings done from the natural base of a tree
Memorial plaque
Second set of impressive carvings
Click on the images below for the full story of the battle.
Thats my lot for tonight - I have some images of a game I watched but did not participate in to post next, plus some more recently painted figures to transition through the photo booth, so likely to post again in a couple of days.
It's always struck me as one of the more interesting colonial wars to game as it never seems as one sided, nice photos as always!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks Iain, from what I have read and watched, it wasn't one sided at all.....although how much of this was due to European incompetence, based on presumed superiority to "The Natives" is hard to say!
DeleteIs the mound featuring the fort still present on today’s landscape? The placard makes the high ground appear most formidable.
ReplyDeleteHi Jon, I think the small reserve (park) and the church at the top is probably the location of the pa/fort. The surrounding landscape is now covered by a major urban raid, supermarkets etc, so it's quite hard to visualise the battlefield of 160 years ago. In general, the British had a lot of trouble with the pa fortifications that the Maoris employed....basically, it was like WWI or maybe parts of the ACW, with the British still using linear formations to advance against an enemy they could not see in trenches and behind breastworks etc, who were also armed with firearms and able to fire with impunity, and when things got too hot due to a disparity in numbers, the Maoris simply withdrew through hidden escape routes and tunnels, leaving the Brits to claim a victory because they had "captured" the position. Virtually every British victory in the two main wars was Pyhrric.....
DeleteFascinating, Keith. Thanks!
DeleteThis is a war that I don't know much about? Thanks Keith!
ReplyDeleteI am not much of an expert Ray, but living here and being interested in toy soldiers/military history, I have found out a few bits and pieces. Plenty on You Tube if anyone is interested, search James Belich or Mihingarangi Forbes for two excellent TV productions about the main parts of the wars.
DeleteLike Ray, not something I know much about at all. IIRC there was a Maori-British game at the recent Other Partizan show. The info at the end made for most interesting reading:).
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve, it's pretty small scale stuff in terms of military history, as evidenced by the casualty figures for what was one of the major battles! I remember seeing the images of the Oa etc in the reports on Other Partizan and it did look stunning. I suspect if some Pakeha (Europen) wargamers did that here, and it hit the mainstream news media for some reason, it would cause a bit of a furore.....! There were a few occasions when Maori groups (often including women and children) were caught in the open, and then, you can guess the outcome. In fact if you Google Gate Pa Battle aftermath, you will probably find info on what happened a few weeks later....most of the erstwhile defenders of Gate Pa were surprised by the British in the open and around one hundred were killed. Not a particularly glorious series of episodes.....
DeleteThose tree carvings are great. I didn't know about the Maoris tending to British wounded and found that quite surprising given their fearsome reputation.
ReplyDeleteHaving been born and bred in Aotearoa (!) I am surprised you hadn't heard that tale, Lawrence. It's one of the parts of the story that gets the most emphasis....the British often used recognition of the gallantry of the Maoris to mask the fact they were losing most of the fights! The Maoris had all sorts of rules about not hitting an enemy who was down or caring for wounded enemies etc....on one occasion, the Maoris suffered a bombardment in the open whilst they were at prayer, because they assumed the British, being Christian too, would not attack on a Sunday!
DeleteThere you go. I actually spent only ten years in NZ, having done most of my primary schooling in the UK learning about English history after arriving there from Australia. I really wish now I had learned more about the Maori wars, but as a teenager I was much more interested in the Napoleonic era.
DeleteOh right, I had just assumed, from comments about Barry, Auckland etc that you were born here but went across the ditch at some point, my mistook! I would certainly recommend the James Belich series, although it as judged "revisionist" at the time and I do think he overdoes some of the claims on behalf of the Maori combatants....they didn't invent trench warfare, for example!
DeleteI'll look into that Keith. Posts like this plus visiting some of the sites along the Waikato have definitely served to stoke an interest.
DeleteAn excellent post - thanks for sharing your trip!
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome Stuart and I am glad you found it interesting. General Campbell is, I think, generally regarded as the best of the British commander. He already had a solid record after service in the Crimean War. He basically came to the conclusion that using military force against the Maori people as pointless, as even the heaviest artillery made little impression on their fortifications. He also had more respect and empathy for his battlefield opponents than he did for the politicians and settlers.....not uncommon in that time of course and may also include an element of British class snobbery! Army officers would prefer noble poverty to being "in trade" and wealthy 😄
DeleteFacing stuff Keith…
ReplyDeleteAn excellent use of a work trip.
All the best. Aly
Thanks Aly....I am picking the first word is supposed to be fascinating.....??
DeleteGreat post Keith. Very interesting how the Maori fought and adapted so quickly to the British way of war.
ReplyDeletePart time native soldiers will never be able to win a war against the full time soldiers of the British, but interesting to see how they won numerous battles. The Maori seem to have done a lot better than many others in the same situation.
Thanks Ben, I am pleased this was of interest. You are correct on all the points you have made.
DeleteInteresting. Thanks for that. I know next to nothing about the Maori wars.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris, as noted previously, my knowledge isn't huge either, but having lived here for thirty four years, I have picked up some bits and pieces along the way. This blog actually helps...I have been to Tauranga numerous times, but it never occurred to me to visit Gate Pa until now...the main motivation being, I could report on the trip here! The same is true of my earlier visit to the battlefield of Rangiriri. See 16 May 2021 post.
DeleteInteresting; thanks for the guided tour. I had some inkling about how tough the Maoris were in these bloody fights (I seem to remember wargame magazines dealing with the topic back in the 1980s) but it's always good to have some detail like this and to see where it actually happened.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
David.
Thanks David, I am pleased you found the topic interesting
Delete