THE BATTLE OF ORAKAU

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4527, 5 April 1934, Page 2

THE BATTLE OF ORAKAU

ANNIVERSARY LAST SATURDAY. The seventieth anniversary of the commencement of the epic Battle of Orakau fell on Saturday. To protect Auckland against a Maori invasion offensive measures had been initiated by the British forces, who pushed into the Waikato district, being met with stubborn resistance at several points on the route. At Orakau about 300 natives, almost without food and completely without water, had entrenched themselves in a small pa. Against heavy artillery fire and rifle bullets and hand-grenades they held out for three days, although completely surrounded. The British force numbered 1800, under Brigadier Carey, and on the third day the command was taken over by MajorGeneral Sir Duncan Cameron. He humanely, under a flag of truce, invited the natives to make an honourable surrender. The reply came back, 'Heoi ano! Ka whawhai tonu matou. Ake. Ake. Ake" ("Enough. We will fight on for ever and ever and The general then offered to allow a safe conduct for the women, and got the reply, "The women will fight as well as we." In the end the garrison made a desperate sortie, and so vigorous was the move that, but for the presence of cavalry and colonial rangers, they might have escaped. As it was, 130 Maoris were killed or wounded, while 17 Europeans were killed and 55 wounded before the redoubt fell to the British forces. Almost half of the Maori garrison, including their chief Rewi, escaped. The famous challenge of the Maoris on that occasion is now the motto of the Waikato Regiment.