On March 11 it will be 175 years (11/03/1845) since Māori first signalled, courtesy of Hone Heke, their dissatisfaction
with the state of things post the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, signed only five years earlier.
The tensions between Rangatiratanga and the imposition of British Sovereignty, plus a sense that Ngāpuhi independence
and authority were being quickly and stealthily undermined, led to the symbolic act of the felling of the Flagstaff on
Te Maiki in Kororāreka/ Russell and the ensuing bloodshed that killed around 13 Māori and 20 Britons. The bloodshed
spread across Northland and over time further south, often for similar reasons, and ended up involving much of the
country.
The battle is commemorated every year by local tangata whenua and the Kororāreka community, including descendants and
representatives of ngā hapū/iwi who took part in the fighting.
Rōpu from Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa / New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army and New Zealand Police will take part in the
commemoration.
The guest list this year is also expected to include:
Government Ministers:
Hon Kelvin Davis
Hon Shane Jones
Hon Peeni Henare
Northland MP Matt King
Northland Labour list MP Willow-Jean Prime
Representatives from Pouhere Taonga Heritage New Zealand
Dept. of Conservation - the joint kaitiaki of Te Maiki alongside Kororāreka Marae
Far North Mayor John Carter
The event traditionally involves a service and kōrero on Te Maiki, then moves to Christ Church to acknowledge the
fallen, both Pākehā and Māori, at the memorial Kohatu and the grave of the men of HMS Hazard, and ends with breakfast
hosted by Ngā Hapū whānau o Kororāreka Marae.
Kororāreka Marae Society Chairperson Deb Rewiri says “We hope this 175th anniversary will draw attention on a national
level to the significance of this day, and contribute to the understanding of the history leading up to the actions on
Maiki and what they were intended to achieve. The history of the early contact period is rich and fascinating but also
challenging, and much of it has for so long has not been properly told. Working with Kororareka Marae, Te Au Marie Trust
and local hapū and iwi, DOC have installed new interpretive panels on Te Maiki relating the events that lead up the
battle and the reverberations that followed.
“We hope this will help New Zealanders and visitors to understand and appreciate more our shared history and shared
future, and that occasions like this will help open eyes and minds to what Māori have endured and continue to put right
the wrongs inflicted through colonisation.”
Dates and timings:
Wednesday 11 March 202
06.45 am gather on Te Maiki
07.00 am service starts
Breakfast should be concluded by 10am
The format is generally mihi, karakia, kōrero and himene/waiata on the maunga before the raising of Te Kara. At Christ
Church the party gathers to acknowledge the fallen, both Pākeha and Māori with another short prayer and formal
recognition from the Armed Services. The morning concludes with breakfast at Kororāreka Marae, on the corner of Pitt St
and the Strand, Russell.