The first of the Northern Wars
You would think that looking at this scene nothing bad could happen here but this picturesque land lies opposite the St Catherine's Church in Okaihau with quite a story to tell.
In the cemetery there is a memorial to 12 British soldiers who died in the first battle of the Northern Wars in 1845. In Russell (Kororareka) a few months earlier Hone Heke cut down the British flag and martial law was then proclaimed.
Two days later at Onewara Beach in Paihia, Colonel Hulme lead British troops to Russell to meet local reinforcements and a war party lead by Tamati Waka Nene (above). In the meantime Ngapuhi leader Hone Heke had asked Ngati Hine chief Te Ruki Kawiti for support and they pulled together over 250 warriors.
When Tamati lead the British troops to his own pa at Okaihau they were all sure the pa would be easily taken but after tramping up and down hills in the pouring rain they arrived completely worn out.
The Maori forces at this battle saw the British using fixed bayonets and found them extremely efficient, learning to avoid them head on. One eye witness then commented that "a great smoke was seen to fly out of one of the guns and the rocket came out of the other. At first it didn't not go very fast but after a short distance it began to flame and roar while heading straight towards the pa. At the last minute it swerved and flew over the top without doing any harm".
The British troops then stormed the pa only to be confronted by Kawiti and his Maori warriors who had been hiding behind the hill . In the dead fight that followed the British bayonets proved deadly and 20 of the Maori men were killed and wounded. Heke's men then stormed out of the pa and the 2 sides fought but that night Colonel Hulme realized that victory would not be possible for them and called a retreat. The British troops returned to Russell while Hone Heke and his men went out to bury their dead from both sides.
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