Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LAND WARS
ERROL HUNT
Five separate major conflicts made up what are now collectively known as the New
Zealand Wars (also referred to as the Land Wars or Maori Wars). Starting in Northland
and moving throughout the North Island, the wars had many complex causes, but
whenua(land) was the one common factor. In all five wars, Maori fought both for and
against the government, on whose side stood the Imperial British Army, Australians
and NZ's own Armed Constabulary. Land confiscations imposed on the Maori as pun-
ishment for involvement in these wars are still the source of conflict today, with the
government struggling to finance compensation for what are now acknowledged to
have been illegal seizures.
NNorrthla
d warr(1844-46) 'Hone Heke's War' began with the famous chopping of the
flagpole at Kororareka (now Russell) and 'ended' at Ruapekapeka (south of
Kawakawa). In many ways, this was almost a civil war between rival Ngapuhi factions,
with the government taking one side against the other.
Fiirst T
thland w
i warr(1860-61) Starting in Waitara, the first Taranaki war inflamed the
passions of Maori across the North Island.
Waiikatto w
t Tarranaaki w
o warr(1863-64) The largest of the five wars. Predominantly involving Kingit-
anga, the Waikato war was caused in part by what the government saw as a challenge
to sovereignty. However, it was land, again, that was the real reason for friction. Fol-
lowing defeats such as Rangiriri, the Waikato people were pushed entirely from their
own lands, south into what became known as the King Country.
SSecond T
i warr(1865-69) Caused by Maori resistance to land confiscations
stemming from the first Taranaki war, this was perhaps the war in which the Maori
came closest to victory, under the brilliant, one-eyed prophet-general Titokowaru.
However, once he lost the respect of his warriors (probably through an indiscretion
with the wife of one of his warriors), the war too was lost.
East C
d Tarranaaki w
t Coast w
t warr(1868-72) Te Kooti's holy guerrilla war.
Coming In, Coming Out
The 'recolonial' system was shaken several times after 1935, but managed to survive until
1973, when Mother England ran off and joined the Franco-German commune now known as
the EU. NZ was beginning to develop alternative markets to Britain, and alternative exports
to wool, meat and dairy products. Wide-bodied jet aircraft were allowing the world and NZ
to visit each other on an increasing scale. NZ had only 36,000 tourists in 1960, compared
with more than two million a year now. Women were beginning to penetrate first the upper
reaches of the workforce and then the political sphere. Gay people came out of the closet,
despite vigorous efforts by moral conservatives to push them back in. University-educated
youths were becoming more numerous and more assertive.
