Gate Pa
Encyclopedia
Gate Pā was the name of a Māori Pā
or fortress built in 1864 only 5 km (3.1 mi) from the main British base of Camp Te Papa at Tauranga
, during the Tauranga Campaign
of the New Zealand Land Wars
. The name pā comes from its appearance; the palisade
looked like a picket fence while a higher part in the middle resembled a gate.
The pā was built at the instigation of Chief Rawiri Puhirake of Ngai Te Rangi, on the edge of land owned by Māori, where missionaries had erected a gate between the Māori and colonial settlers. Puhirake believed British reprisal for his support of the King Movement during the Waikato War was inevitable, so he constructed Gate Pa for protection. This failed to rouse the British so he began sending taunts, declaring he had built a road from the British camp to the pā, "so that the British would not be too tired to fight".
General Duncan Cameron, whose Invasion of the Waikato
had finished, determined to attack the pā with the majority of his forces to destroy the King Movement's allies. By the end of April, the British were ready to attack, with 1,700 men, opposed by 230 Māori.
A heavy bombardment was begun at daybreak on 29 April 1864 and continued for eight hours. The British had 15 artillery pieces including one of 110 pounds (50 kg). By mid afternoon the pā looked as if it had been demolished and there was a large breach in the center of the palisade. At 4 pm the barrage was lifted and 300 troops were sent up to capture and secure the position. The attacking troops forced the defenders back inside the pa and the Maori looked to flee only then discovering their path to the rear blocked - they reentered the pa and continued fighting.The soldiers in the pa mistook these for fresh reinforcements.
The British forces suffered considerable losses and withdrew 100 m to dig in new positions 100m from the pā to await daylight. During the night the Māori gave assistance to the wounded and collected their weapons, and by day break they had abandoned the position. Gate Pā was the single most devastating battle for the British military during the New Zealand land wars, with 111 casualties and deaths, however it achieved the main aim of clearing the enemy from the vicinity of Tauranga so can be seen as a victory. Maori losses are said to be 25 dead. Many of the British casualties are thought to have been blue on blue incidents as the long shots by artillery landed on British troops on the other side. This may have been due to the muddy conditions which effected the stability of the artillery guns.
Gate Pā was not quite what it appeared to be. From the British positions it looked like fairly large strongpoint occupying the entire hilltop. In fact, it was much smaller, being two low redoubt
s on either side of the ridge joined by a deep trench about 40 m long and the whole shielded by a strong wooden palisade. It seems likely that British concentrated their barrage towards the centre, where the palisade collapsed and where the assault was made. Meanwhile the two redoubts had been built very strongly with deep and effective bomb-proof shelters. The Māori may have been deafened by the bombardment, but as soon as it ended they were able to ambush the British troops. The factors recognised as contributing to the high cost of the victory were the poor visibility during the bombardment, the fact that the Pa was surrounded not allowing a path for the defenders to flee as they often did during the Waikato campaign, the death of numerous officers in the first wave, the mix up between the first and second wave sent as reinforcements, and the lack of day light.
After the battle, the British soldiers followed the survivors to Te Ranga, where their continuous fire prevented the rebels building a strong pā. When reinforcement arrived from Waikato, the Ngaiterangi were again attacked and easily defeated - the Maori defenders suffering 107 dead and two soldiers winning VCs. In the aftermath, Governor
George Grey
went to Tauranga and began peace negotiations. Cameron returned to Auckland
, leaving Colonel Greer in command.
Pa (Maori)
The word pā can refer to any Māori village or settlement, but in traditional use it referred to hillforts fortified with palisades and defensive terraces and also to fortified villages. They first came into being about 1450. They are located mainly in the North Island north of lake Taupo...
or fortress built in 1864 only 5 km (3.1 mi) from the main British base of Camp Te Papa at Tauranga
Tauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
, during the Tauranga Campaign
Tauranga Campaign
The Tauranga Campaign took place in New Zealand, from 21 January 1864 to 21 June 1864, during the New Zealand Land Wars.-Origins:This campaign started as a side show to the Invasion of the Waikato, where British Imperial Troops, on behalf of the New Zealand Colonial Government, were fighting a...
of the New Zealand Land Wars
New Zealand land wars
The New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872...
. The name pā comes from its appearance; the palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
looked like a picket fence while a higher part in the middle resembled a gate.
The pā was built at the instigation of Chief Rawiri Puhirake of Ngai Te Rangi, on the edge of land owned by Māori, where missionaries had erected a gate between the Māori and colonial settlers. Puhirake believed British reprisal for his support of the King Movement during the Waikato War was inevitable, so he constructed Gate Pa for protection. This failed to rouse the British so he began sending taunts, declaring he had built a road from the British camp to the pā, "so that the British would not be too tired to fight".
General Duncan Cameron, whose Invasion of the Waikato
Invasion of the Waikato
The Invasion of Waikato or Kingitanga Suppression Movement was a campaign during the middle stages of the New Zealand Wars, fought in the North Island of New Zealand from July 1863 to April 1864 between the military forces of the Colonial Government and a federation of Māori tribes known as the...
had finished, determined to attack the pā with the majority of his forces to destroy the King Movement's allies. By the end of April, the British were ready to attack, with 1,700 men, opposed by 230 Māori.
A heavy bombardment was begun at daybreak on 29 April 1864 and continued for eight hours. The British had 15 artillery pieces including one of 110 pounds (50 kg). By mid afternoon the pā looked as if it had been demolished and there was a large breach in the center of the palisade. At 4 pm the barrage was lifted and 300 troops were sent up to capture and secure the position. The attacking troops forced the defenders back inside the pa and the Maori looked to flee only then discovering their path to the rear blocked - they reentered the pa and continued fighting.The soldiers in the pa mistook these for fresh reinforcements.
The British forces suffered considerable losses and withdrew 100 m to dig in new positions 100m from the pā to await daylight. During the night the Māori gave assistance to the wounded and collected their weapons, and by day break they had abandoned the position. Gate Pā was the single most devastating battle for the British military during the New Zealand land wars, with 111 casualties and deaths, however it achieved the main aim of clearing the enemy from the vicinity of Tauranga so can be seen as a victory. Maori losses are said to be 25 dead. Many of the British casualties are thought to have been blue on blue incidents as the long shots by artillery landed on British troops on the other side. This may have been due to the muddy conditions which effected the stability of the artillery guns.
Gate Pā was not quite what it appeared to be. From the British positions it looked like fairly large strongpoint occupying the entire hilltop. In fact, it was much smaller, being two low redoubt
Redoubt
A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...
s on either side of the ridge joined by a deep trench about 40 m long and the whole shielded by a strong wooden palisade. It seems likely that British concentrated their barrage towards the centre, where the palisade collapsed and where the assault was made. Meanwhile the two redoubts had been built very strongly with deep and effective bomb-proof shelters. The Māori may have been deafened by the bombardment, but as soon as it ended they were able to ambush the British troops. The factors recognised as contributing to the high cost of the victory were the poor visibility during the bombardment, the fact that the Pa was surrounded not allowing a path for the defenders to flee as they often did during the Waikato campaign, the death of numerous officers in the first wave, the mix up between the first and second wave sent as reinforcements, and the lack of day light.
After the battle, the British soldiers followed the survivors to Te Ranga, where their continuous fire prevented the rebels building a strong pā. When reinforcement arrived from Waikato, the Ngaiterangi were again attacked and easily defeated - the Maori defenders suffering 107 dead and two soldiers winning VCs. In the aftermath, Governor
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
George Grey
George Edward Grey
Sir George Grey, KCB was a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony , the 11th Premier of New Zealand and a writer.-Early life and exploration:...
went to Tauranga and began peace negotiations. Cameron returned to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, leaving Colonel Greer in command.
Further reading
- The New Zealand Wars: The Waikato war in the Tauranga area: The Battle of Gate Pa - 1864
- The Story Of Gate Pa, April 29th, 1864 by Gilbert Mair. (Full text at the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre)
External links
- Battle of Gate Pa animated battle map by Jonathan Webb
- http://www.historyorb.com/nz/gate_pa.shtml
- http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/G/GatePapukehinahina/GatePapukehinahina/en