A Wild Wind from the North: Hongi Hika’s 1823 invasion
A Wild Wind from the North: Hongi Hika’s 1823 invasion of
Rotorua
Don Stafford
Published by Oratia
Books
ISBN: 978-0-947506-23-0
$39.99 HB
Hongi Hika’s invasion of the Rotorua area in 1823 is one of the most dramatic and daring assaults in New Zealand history. Yet like much of our early history, the details are unknown to many New Zealanders.
The late Don Stafford committed himself to redress that imbalance – arguing throughout his distinguished career that events like the Musket Wars deserve to be studied no less than the Napoleonic Wars of the same period.
Armed with
muskets, Hongi’s Ngāpuhi forces had roamed the North
Island seeking utu (revenge) for past slights. Te Arawa,
inland and with their island stronghold of Mokoia
on Lake
Rotorua, felt impregnable. They did not count on Hongi’s
epic portage of canoes to the lake shores, from which an
attack on Mokoia became inevitable.
A Wild Wind from
the North not only tells the story with Stafford’s flair
and, but is also richly illustrated, including modern photos
of the locations depicted. Launch of the
book in 2007
occasioned a major meeting of Ngāpuhi and Te Arawa that
aided reconciliation for the past conflict. This new
printing aims to keep alive the memory of this remarkable
slice of our past.
Don Stafford (1927–2010) was an
historian and writer who dedicated his life and work to the
Rotorua district. Through a long and distinguished career,
he wrote over 20
books on Rotorua and its history. Fluent
in Māori, Don travelled on foot to every corner of Te
Arawa’s rohe, and played a major role in preservation of
historical sites and
objects. He was Rotorua’s official
historian, and his honours included an MBE, CBE and honorary
doctorate.