Visit to Opepe Settlement by Turangi Camp

Forest and Bird, Issue 156, 1 May 1965, Page 15

Visit to Opepe Settlement by Turangi Camp

By

Hugh Ross

Members of the Society’s Turangi camp toured in January the remains of the graveyard and settlement at Opepe, nine miles from Taupo on the highway to Napier.

The Opepe settlement originated in the latter days of the Maori wars. Te Kooti had been driven into the Urewera by Colonial Forces, which then held every known outlet. Lieut.-Colonel St. John then rode from Galatea with an escort of 14 of the Bay of Plenty Cavalry. At Opepe he left his escort to camp in some old whares while he rode on to Taupo settlement, then called Tapuaeharuru, assuring them that they would be as safe as they would have been in Piccadilly. Consequently they failed to post sentries. Te Kooti, unknown to them, was close on their heels with some 200 warriors, having escaped by the Minginui track. This was known at Fort Galatea, and dispatch riders set out with a warning, but they were ambushed by Te Kooti.

Te Kooti’s force managed to persuade the party at Opepe that they were friendly and when the soldiers were completely outnumbered by the Maoris they were set upon. Of the 14 soldiers nine were killed, the rest escaping and returning to Fort Galatea. These nine are buried in two mass graves in the cemetery as are others who died later during the Armed Constabulary’s occupation, which continued for 16 years.

Across the highway from the graves the camp party proceeded down the old road past the old well and under the walls of the Opepe Redoubt, which for seven years of its occupation was field headquarters of the Armed Constabulary. The subsequent village that grew up round this fortress at one time had a population of 200 people, but few were permanent.

The redoubt was established late in 1869 after the surprise of the troopers on 6 June. It maintained a hotel, a store, and blacksmith shop, while the Armed Constabulary had a stable for 50 horses and accommodation for 200 men. However, a garrison of this size was retained for only a year or so; in 1878 there were 38 on the roll. It was closed down completely in 1885, when New Zealand reached a state of internal peace.

The party then walked on down the road and took a newly cleared path down the old way to the horse trough. This is down the valley to the east of the redoubt where is to be found one of the rare springs of water in this locality. Here the horses of the garrison were daily taken to water.

Mr. Trevor Hosking and his assistants have very successfully repaired the water trough, hewn from a totara log and set back in place below the spring. It is now a most attractive spot embowered in regenerating bush and gnarled hawthorn trees which originated from the hedges of the occupation.

On the way back the party passed over the redoubt site to see the mounds of the old earthworks.

The attraction of Opepe lies in the relics of man’s occupation. Perhaps in a century our descendants may view with equal curiosity the relics of the works now going forward at Turangi for electrical power.