Parihaka is a settlement on the Taranaki coast of the North Island of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Established by the prophets Te Whiti-o-Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi in the aftermath of the Land Wars of the 1840s-1860s, it was a haven for many Māori dispossessed of their lands, confiscated by the Colonial Government.
Te Whiti and Tohu preached and practiced non-violent resistance. On 5 Nov 1881, the settlement was invaded by 1589 Government Forces, 'the booted feet' foretold, and the leaders arrested.
(See more historical detail below the project outline).
AIM OF THIS PROJECT:
The Armed Constabulary, and Volunteer Forces responded to a call for men from all over Aotearoa/New Zealand to put down the 'native resistance.'
This project aims to put faces and names and stories to those 1589 men who came. There doesn't seem to be any one source for their names, only numbers from each region.
SOURCES FOR IDENTIFYING NAMES: - Papers Past Obituaries Reporting on regional contingents - Electronic Text Centre - Visitor's book from Cape Egmont lighthouse - Archives NZ - Wellington holds Staff Records for Armed Constabulary - Biographies
PHRASES TO SEARCH: '... the historic march on Parihaka' '... served at Parihaka' '... native uprising at Parihaka'
SUGGESTED WORDING TO GO ON PROFILES: "[Rank and Name of soldier] was involved in the march on Parihaka, 5 Nov 1881, with the [Armed Constabulary/Volunteer forces] contingent from [location].
Mentioned in [source].
(Optional) Add any specific roles or further information. Attach image of source material.
Link to the 'New Zealand Government Forces, Parihaka' category
Also link to the Armed Constabulary category, if applicable.
WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?
According to the Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives:
New Zealand Armed Constabulary annual report, 31 May 1882 H-14 pg 3 Volunteers - left column under Major Pitt of Nelson Artillery, 945 of all ranks: Nelson volunteers 185 Thames 170 Wellington 200 Wanganui 161 Wairarapa 99 Canterbury 79 Marlborough 51
Armed Constabulary - right column under Major Tuke, 644 of all ranks: Taranaki Mounted Rifles 40 Taranaki Volunteer Rifles 46 Six companies of AC Force, 449, A Company of AC Force, 109.
Volunteer force of New Zealnd (sic) (Report on). 1882 Session 1, H-22 Thames - 7 officers, 164 men Nelson - 13 officers, 176 men Marlborough - 3 officers, 49 men Wellington - 21 officers, 283 men Canterbury - 5 officers, 74 men
Plus Taranaki & Wanganui districts (number not defined) Total 64 officers, 1048 men
Note - numbers of men were left to guard the blockhouses at Pungarehu and Rāhotu.
HISTORY:
Parihaka is a Māori settlement established in the mid 1860s by Te Whiti-o-Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi of Taranaki and Te Āti Awa iwi. The settlement grew quickly, a haven for dispossessed disillusioned Māori from much of New Zealand's North Island following the land wars of the 1840s-1860s.
In the 1860s the Waimate Plains of South Taranaki were confiscated from Maori by the Colonial Government.
The Waimate Plains were surveyed and opened up for settlement by 1880. Te Whiti and Tohu developed tactics of non-violent resistance to the activities of survey parties and colonial settlers. Several hundred Parihaka protesters were imprisoned without trial.
In 1880, the West Coast Commission recommended creating designated reserves for Maori at Parihaka. The prisoners from Parihaka were released in early 1881; however Maori protest action continued, particularly the ploughing of newly formed roads for crops. The Government responded with a proclamation on the 19th October 1881, giving the people of Parihaka fourteen days to accept the reserves offered "or face the consequences".
The Government staged a show of force, on the 5th November 1881, about 1500 volunteers and Constabulary Field Force troops marched on Parihaka led by John Bryce, Minister for Native Affairs.
Several thousand Māori sat quietly on the marae as singing children greeted the Government Forces.
The Parihaka leaders, Tohu Kakahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai, were arrested and imprisoned. Sixteen hundred Māori were expelled from Parihaka. Buildings, crops and cattle were destroyed by Government Forces; remembered locally as Te Pāhuatanga.
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| Armed Constabulary reservists from Patea on their way to Parihaka in 1881 ref: Puke Ariki, PHO2002-828 |
