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1806 Whalers arrive in Kororareka
Whalers begin to arrive in the Bay of Islands. This includers Americans banned from using Sydney and British who wish to avoid the notoriously corrupt Australian officials. Ngapuhi respond by growing new crops, supplying timber and women. Guns are also traded. -
The Venus arrives in the Bay of Islands
The Venus is stolen from Hobart by the First Mate Kelly and Catherine Hagerty arriving in the Bay of Islands. They kidnap several women from the Ngapuhi. The women are relatives of Te Morenga (his neice Tawatapu and his sister) and Hongi Hika. The women are traded to Iwi near Tauranga and later Opotiki.
The women are killed and eaten as an insult to Ngapuhi.
Distance makes these tribes (Ngati Ira & Whakatohea) feel safe.
Traditionally this would worked for them. -
Battle of Moremonui (Te Kai-a-te-Karoro)
A Ngapuhi Taua travels south towards Tamaki. (Auckland) They are confident because they have 6 muskets. Ngati Whatua ambush them as they prepare camp at Moremonui. 150 Toa are killed including Hongi's brothers and a sister. It is called also called Te Kai-a-te-Karoro (The Feast of Seagulls) as Ngati Whatua cannot eat all that they kill. Hika will wait 17 years to exact Utu for this event. -
Period: to
The Northern Border Wars
Raiding from the North into southern areas on both coasts begin.
Limited access to muskets means there is little real change from earlier clashes. This period Various Ngapuhi hapu (Ngati Korokoro) and affiliated tribes begin to fight with Ngati Whatua hapu (Ngati Roroa). Ngapuhi are led by Patuone and Waka Nene. In 1813 Hika attacks Ngati Korokoro because they are rumoured to have feasted at Moremonui. While he is away Ngati Pou attack his own pa near Kaikohe. -
Period: to
The Northern Raids begin
Ngapuhi tribes begin to regularly raid south to Tamaki and beyond, during the summer season.
Few muskets are used, sometimes only 2-3 are available. Most fighting remains traditional one on one, with few fatalities. -
Murupaenga and Te Rauparaha
Murupaenga of Ngati Whatua (Auckland) is joined by Te Rauparaha of Nagti Toa (Waikato) in a raid against the Te Atiawa (Northern Taranaki). Its success led to an invitation for a future taua of greater magnitude and length. -
Hikas first major expedition
Te Morenga and Hika marched south to the Bay of Plenty. They never actually crossed paths. Hika attacked from Maketu eastward.
Muskets give him a huge advantage. He also returned with hundreds of slaves and hundreds more heads. Slaves are used to grow even more food especially potatoes. Potatoes can be traded but also make longer expeditions possible. -
Amiowhenua #1 leaves Bay of Islands
The first Amiowhenua (Encircling the island) Taua departs Northland. Led by Te Morenga and Hika. Te Morenga seeks utu against Te Waru of Tauranga who was held responsible for the death of his relative Tawatapu in 1806. The pursuit of Te Waru will take Te Morenga across the Bay of Plenty to Whakatane. The Taua will be away for 12 months and returns with 500 heads and 2000 slaves. This is accomplished with only 35 muskets. -
Ngapuhi raid the Bay of Plenty
Hongi and Te Morenga raid into BoP in revenge for the Te Morengas niece. He will be away for almost a year. Again limited supplies of muskets limit the damage inflicted. -
Hongi Hika visits England
Hika convinces Kendall to take him and Waikato to London to see the King. He helps to create a Māori Dictionary. He is treated as a special guest & introduced to the King. He receives numerous gifts.
He sells land to a Frenchman, de Thierry. On the way home in Sydney he sells the gifts to acquire at least 200 muskets. -
Fighting escalates. Amiowhenua (#2)
Unhappy with Te Rauparaha, Waikato expel him and Ngati Toa from Kawhia. The second great heke, Amiowhenua #2 begins when Ngapuhi under Te Kawau and Tukoreho attack as far as Whanganui-a-tara (Wellington). They are accompanied by Te Rauparaha, who sees great opportunity in the Kapiti region. Hika returns from London and easily defeats Ngati Paoa and Ngati Maru. -
Hongi Hika returns from Britain.
After stopping in Sydney Hika is able to trade his gifts, including a suit of armour gifted by the King, for muskets. He returns to NZ with at least 200 guns. -
Hongi Hika tries his new guns
Hika leada a taua against Ngati Paoa near Tamaki. Hundreds are killed. The remainder flee.
Tamaki is now a ghost town. Later settlers will complain of the number of fire pits & piles of bones which they use as fertiliser.
The success of this campaign convinces Hika to escalate his attacks further. He also needs more huns. -
Fighting spreads south
Pomare attacks BoP.
Hika invades Waikato.
Driven out of Kawhia, Te Rauparaha begins his own heke to Kapiti, attacking Te Atiawa along the way. Later joined by Ngati Mutunga and Te Atiawa he fights his way south towards Te Whanganui-a-Tara. -
Te Rauparaha continues to migrate south
Te Rauparaha attacks the Horowhenua district. Southern Iwi are unable to counter his muskets. -
Hika and the Arawa
Hika invades Te Arawa and attacks Mokoia island (Rotorua).
Despite retreating onto the Island 3000 Arawa are killed after Hika portages his canoes across the land from the coast. -
Te Rauparaha's drives south
Te Rauparaha attacks Ngati Apa and Rangitane in the Manawatu. Finally arriving in Te Whanganui-a-Tara he settles Ngati Toa in Porirua, gifting Te Aro to te Atiawa and the Hutt Valley to Ngati Mutunga. -
Ngapuhi dominance weakens
With newly acquired guns, Ngati Whatua attack Whangarei. The great Ngapuhi Taua can no longer easily venture south with impunity. Ngapuhi involvement in the Musket Wars diminshes. -
Hika's utu (Revenge) for Te Kai-a-te-Karoro
Hongi Hika defeats Ngati Whatua and pursues them into Waikato. Some of his Toa carry up to 10 muskets each (carried by Slaves & Boys). At last after 17 years he has his utu for Te Kai-a-te-Karoro and the death of his siblings. -
Period: to
The Gunfighter Pa
In response to the firepower of muskets, Northern Māori develop a new style of Pa. Moving away from hilltops Pa are now sited on flat land, with trench systems hidden behind solid flax covered palisades, and secured by enfilading fire zones. Often swamps were used to secure a getaway route if needed. In 1845 Kawiti would take the idea one step further. -
Kai Huanga (Eat Relations) War amongst Kai Tahu Hapu
Kai Tahu of the South Island infighting leads to heavy fighting on the Banks Peninsula. -
Hika attacks Whangaroa
In a raid against Whangaroa which sees the Weslyan Mission sacked Hika is seriously wounded. -
Hongi Hika dies
For a year Hika entertains children by allowing the wind to whistle through his wound. But after surviving for a year his wound finally kills the great chief. -
Ngati Toa attack Ngai Tahu
After successfully attacking the Nelson and Marlborough, Te Rauparaha is repulsed at Kaikoura after his friend Te Peehi Kupe is killed by Tamaiharanui over a dispute involving greenstone. In 1830 he will exact his utu. -
The Elizabeth Affair
Te Rauparaha persuades with Capt Stewart of the Elizabeth, For a load of flax Stewart will transport the chief and a taua to the South Island. At Kaiapoi, Tamaiharanui, his wife and daughter are captured. They strangle their daughter to save her from Ngati Toa. Tamaiharanui is tortured to death by Te Peehi's widow. Ngati Toa now dominate from Taupo to Christchurch.
Capt. Stewart is briefly held in Sydney he flees when charges are dropped. (British law has no jurisdiction in NZ). -
Tūhawaiki 'Bloody Jack' chief of Ngāi Tahu
Tūhawaiki is a chief in Southland and has had access to muskets through trading with Sealers. He joins a Taua against a party of Ngati Toa. Te Rauparaha narrowly escapes capture. -
Ngati Mutunga invade the Chatham Islands
Ngati Mutunga and Ngati Tama force the Lord Rodney to transport a large taua to the Chathams. Moriori choose not to confront them and are taken into slavery. Many are killed & eaten. Others are forbidden to marry or have children. While Slavery disappears in the rest of the Empire, it continues on the Chathams until the 1860's.
By 1900 the Moriori are almost extinct as a people. -
Ngāi Tahu beat back Ngāti Tama
Bloody Jack leads a Taua against invaders from Ngāti Tama. At Tūtūrau he defeats them taking many prisoners. This was enough to discourage Ngati Toa from venturing further south, -
Last Gasps before the Treaty
Ngai Terangi and Waikato attack Maketu. -
Period: to
The Last Hurrah
Sporadic fighting continues. Most Iwi now have access to muskets and are both well armed and know how to use volley fire to defend their Kainga. No-one has an advantage so fewer Taua are sent out. In 1845 Te Heuheu leads the last Taua against Nga Rauru. This reinforces the view that Britain's control over on NZ was still relatively weak even 5 years after the Treaty. Essentially NZ is British in only a few coastal zones.
