Mercer - a Waikato War site
Access: On Highway 1 drive 5 km south from Pokeno, turn into Mercer Service Centre and head west towards the Waikato River (map below).
Here in the small village of Mercer (which was a popular refreshment passenger stop on the main trunk railway line) is sited one of the two turrets from the river gunboat Pioneer, which has been incorporated into a World War I memorial (the other being at Ngaruawhahia).
Also the famous Mercer cheese shop, and a small museum.
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| Memorial figure |
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| Looking north over the Waikato River |
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| Memorial and museum |
History: By the early 1860‘s the NZ Colonial Government was hard-pressed to provide fertile land for a rapidly increasing number of settlers from Britain. Governor Grey’s solution was to declare the Maori in the King Country “rebels” by deeming that their support for the Maori King was a denial of the sovereignty of the Crown and Queen Victoria - thereby justifying invasion of the King Country and seizure of Maori land.
Preparations for the invasion of the Waikato were a major logistical exercise: a supply-road had to be built through the bush (the Great South Road), numerous redoubts had to be constructed to protect the road, 10,000 Imperial troops were required, and a flotilla of gunboats were needed to help facilitate the invasion along the Waikato River.
The Great South Road ended here at Mercer and the riverside site provided a wharf/supply/logistical complex for the flotilla and the invasion.
Mercer was strategically located just south of the Mangatawhiri stream - the no-go line drawn by the Maori King .The crossing of this stream on 12 July 1863 by Imperial troops was in effect a declaration of war.
Other than the turret, virtually nothing of the military constructions can be seen today. Note nearby “Pioneer Road”.
The Pioneer was part of a river fleet, known as the Waikato Flotilla. Nine steamers in all served on the Waikato River over the period 1863-1870. Three of them - the Avon, and the Pioneer and Koheroa served during the period covered by the Waikato War (July 1863 to April 1864) along with four armoured barges, several smaller barges boats and canoes.
Two of these turrets were positioned on the deck of the Pioneer, each housing a 12-pounder Armstrong gun, and with slits for small-arms.
The use of steam-power enabled the British to maintain their supplies and quickly transport large numbers of troops up the Waikato River against the strong current. The Pioneer alone could carry up to 500 troops.
The Pioneer (with its considerable fire-power) and cohorts were also used to outflank Maori positions, and to bombard their defences from the river. This technological advantage could not be matched by Maori defenders and was vital to the British invasion strategy.
Although the Maori were familiar with the formidable fire-power of the Royal Navy’s ocean-going sailing vessels, iron-clad river-boat steamers were most likely something they did not expect, and for which they had no answer - their small-arms and few cannon were useless against these floating tanks.
From here, and in concert with troops stationed just north at the Queen’s Redoubt in Pokeno, Imperial troops under General Cameron moved south with military engagements at Koheroa Ridge, Meremere, Rangiriri, Paterangi, Waiari, Rangoaowahia, Hairini, and Orakau.
Blog entries on my visits to these sites will follow.....
Some further specific reading:
“The Waikato river Gunboats - New Zealand’s first navy” - Grant Middlemiss“The Waikato war of 1863-64 - a guide to the main events and sites” - Neville Ritchie
“Historical Taranaki - an archaeological guide” - Nigel Prickett
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| Memorial plaque - detail |
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| Interior of the turret |
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| Visitor at the memorial |
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