SEVENTY YEARS AGO

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1933, Page 4

SEVENTY YEARS AGO

OUTBREAK OF SECOND MAORI WAR.

(By

“Fifty-One.”)

An Important event in Taranaki’s history occurred 70 years ago to-day—that is,- on May 3, 1863—namely, the commencement of what is known as the second Maori war. Hostilities were commenced at Waitara in March, 1860, and in May, 1861, a truce was agreed to between the Maoris and Europeans. Settlers who had had to abandon their homes at the outset, however, were not satisfied that the Maoris were in earnest, and refused to go back to their holdings with their families. As all homesteads had been burned, the erection -of new buildings would have been necessary, and none cared to take the risk.

Sir George Grey, then Governor of New Zealand, was in New Plymouth in April and May, 1863, and he was most emphatic in urging the settlers to return to their holdings, stating that they need have no fear of any further trouble with the natives. It is well this advice was not heeded, for on May 3, 1863, an escort of the 57th Regiment, comprising Dr. Hope, Lieut. Tragett, Sergeant Hill (unde of Mr. James Hill) and four soldiers left Tataraimaka for New Plymouth, and when they reached the Wairau stream, about midway between the Oakura and Timaru rivers, a party of Maoris, who were ambushed on slightly high ground, fired a volley, and killed or badly wounded all but one man (Kelly), who was able to get back to camp at Tataraimaka and report the sad tragedy. Kelly, it might be mentioned, was some little distance behind the escort when the volley was fired, and being one of the Regiment’s best runners, he set off at full speed with the Maoris in hot pursuit. Muzzle-loaders were used in those days, and having all discharged their guns in the first volley, the Maoris had to depend upon their legs to catch Kelly. Had they been successful the tomahawk would have done' the rest.

I have a very vivid recollection of that fateful day. I was somewhere near the corner of Brougham and Devon treats, when a riderless horse galloped through the town and went in the direction of the barracks. The horse I knew as Dr. Hope’s, but it was some time before the sad news reached town. There were no telegraphs or telephones in the sixties. We were living at Glen Almond at the time, and shifted to town Immediately the news arrived. That is when the dwelling-house next the Taranaki County Council office received its first occupants. There was a rumour that the Maoris had laid the ambuscade for the purpose of catching (not killing) Sir George Grey, whom they had been led to believe was about to visit the outpost at Tataraimaka. As he failed to put in an appearance they were so incensed that they shot down the escort. I think rumour, as usual, was a lying jade. Sir George Grey was not a great favourite in Taranaki at any time, but he was literally hated after the happening on May 3. The body of one of the soldiers (Banks) was not discovered when the relief party arrived on the scene. It appears from what a native, stated shortly after that Banks had been' wounded, and tried to crawl away and hide, but the Maoris found him, and it is not necessary to state what happened then. Not long after the sad event, a young Maori was captured by Lieut Waller, of the 57th Regiment at what was known as the Three Honeysuckles, near Poutoko, and on him was found Dr. Hope’s watch. He was tried for murder, found guilty, and sentenced to death by Sir George Grey. The sentence was afterwards commuted to imprisonment for life, and finally a free pardon was granted. Feeling rah high at the time, but when the hotheads were forced to realise that the attack on the escort notwithstanding that a truce existed, was purely and simply Maori warfare, they were pleased that the capital sentence had not been carried out. That Maori is alive and well to-day, and ever since the free pardon was granted has been loyal to the reigning sovereign. Times were very, strenuous in Taranaki after the second declaration of war. The Maoris adopted a sort of religion called Hauhauism, and their methods were certainly more barbarous than at the commencement of hostilities in 1860. It is to their credit that all the settlers and their families were allowed to reach New Plymouth before the real days of war were let loose.

During 1863, Parliament accepted the responsibility in Native affairs, and from then on the Imperial authorities allowed the colonial forces to carry on as they thought best. The Imperial troops and civilians got along splendidly together, and the free hand allowed the Bushrangers had the effect of shortening the war. A proclamation of peace was issued by Governor Sir George Grey on September 3, 1865, announcing that the war which commenced at Oakura. was at an end.