The battle at Te Ranga took place on the 21st of June 1864. Those present were Ranginui hapu, Waitaha, Ngati Hinerupe, Tuhoe, Whakatohea, whanau members of Te Arawa including Pikiao, Rangiwewehi & Whakaue. Women and children dug the Pa and when the British turned up they started firing and the women and children were taken out of the half dug trenches and led out through ‘Omataka’ (eastern side of the pa) and back up to ‘Te Taumata’. British guns were set up 700 yards out from the pa. 600 troops were there.
Not long after the first shots were fired bombing began and lasted for 2 hours. There were 140 of our people at the battle, 120 died with approximately 13 wounded. More died 2-3 days later.
Te Ranga means the landing place. Our name for Te Ranga is ‘Taumata-i-a-hui’.
Our saying related to this battle - "Kaua tatari e tutu te pungarehu".
In 1995, facilitated through Enoka Ngatai the 3.6 hectares of this land was put through the Maori Land Court.
The Ngati Kahu relationship with the whenua and the awa was deeply affected by the events of the 1860’s on. After the battles of Gate Pa and Te Ranga, Ngati Kahu and Ngati Rangi retired to their inland settlements of Kaimai and Te Irihanga.
Prior to 1864 Ngati Kahu and Ngati Rangi were located at their pa in Wairoa at Papa o Wharia and Poteriwhi. When British troops invaded Tauranga Moana in 1864, Ngati Kahu, Ngati Rangi and Ngati Pango aligned them-selves with Ngati Ranginui and Ngaiterangi in defence of their homes and families. A pa was constructed at Po-teriwhi by the Wairoa people to stop the troops entering Waikato from this area. Poteriwhi was the original pa for the confrontation between Tauranga Maori aligned with the Maori King, and the British troops.
Poteriwhi, a former battle pa and cultivation area situated on the eastern side of the Wairoa River was built in 1864 for the land wars and was subsequently destroyed by Crown troops. Poteriwhi a transliteration of the words "Port of Relief" was recognised as a strategic location at the crossroads of inland tracks and access to coastal set-tlements. Ngati Kahu and Ngati Rangi have claimed the pa and wish for it's return regardless of the houses built on it. This pa on the Wairoa River, was usually occupied by Penetaka, the Ngaiterangi engineer who designed Gate Pa and many other pa. Ngaiterangi retreated to Poteriwhi subsequent to leaving the Gate pa in April-May 1864. On reaching it a few days later the British found it deserted, so the palisading was dismantled and set fire to.
Not long after the first shots were fired bombing began and lasted for 2 hours. There were 140 of our people at the battle, 120 died with approximately 13 wounded. More died 2-3 days later.
Te Ranga means the landing place. Our name for Te Ranga is ‘Taumata-i-a-hui’.
Our saying related to this battle - "Kaua tatari e tutu te pungarehu".
In 1995, facilitated through Enoka Ngatai the 3.6 hectares of this land was put through the Maori Land Court.
The Ngati Kahu relationship with the whenua and the awa was deeply affected by the events of the 1860’s on. After the battles of Gate Pa and Te Ranga, Ngati Kahu and Ngati Rangi retired to their inland settlements of Kaimai and Te Irihanga.
Prior to 1864 Ngati Kahu and Ngati Rangi were located at their pa in Wairoa at Papa o Wharia and Poteriwhi. When British troops invaded Tauranga Moana in 1864, Ngati Kahu, Ngati Rangi and Ngati Pango aligned them-selves with Ngati Ranginui and Ngaiterangi in defence of their homes and families. A pa was constructed at Po-teriwhi by the Wairoa people to stop the troops entering Waikato from this area. Poteriwhi was the original pa for the confrontation between Tauranga Maori aligned with the Maori King, and the British troops.
Poteriwhi, a former battle pa and cultivation area situated on the eastern side of the Wairoa River was built in 1864 for the land wars and was subsequently destroyed by Crown troops. Poteriwhi a transliteration of the words "Port of Relief" was recognised as a strategic location at the crossroads of inland tracks and access to coastal set-tlements. Ngati Kahu and Ngati Rangi have claimed the pa and wish for it's return regardless of the houses built on it. This pa on the Wairoa River, was usually occupied by Penetaka, the Ngaiterangi engineer who designed Gate Pa and many other pa. Ngaiterangi retreated to Poteriwhi subsequent to leaving the Gate pa in April-May 1864. On reaching it a few days later the British found it deserted, so the palisading was dismantled and set fire to.
