Tapuaeharuru - Taupo
The present-day township of Taupo had its beginnings in a fire caused by a careless trooper in 1869 in a whare in the Maori village of Tapuaeharuru.
Below - an entrance gate and whare at Te Poihipi Tukairangi’s pa (fortified village) at Tapuaeharuru on the west bank of the Waikato River, in 1864. Painting by William Fox.
The withdrawal of British troops from New Zealand started in 1866, they were replaced from 1867 onwards by the Armed Constabulary comprised of local settlers, as well as auxillary “friendly” Maori forces.
The role of the Armed Constabulary was to combine the roles of both army and police by: “Putting down rebellion, quelling disturbances, preserving the peace, preventing robberies and other felonies, and apprehending offenders against the peace” - simple really.
In addition to peacekeeping the AC were expected to carry out public works: building roads, bridges, and fences, while installing and maintaining infrastructure for the new state-of-the-art communication system - telegraph lines and offices.
In Taupo they also ran the ferries and a general store, and were even requested to prospect for gold for the Government (without success).
Chief Poihipi Tukairangi welcomed a proposal to station Armed Constabulary (AC)
troops in the region. A large block of land (including the present town site of Taupo and the Opepe site) was surveyed in 1869 and subsequently sold to the Crown.
From early in 1870, the No 6 contingent of the Armed Constabulary dug deep trenches and erected a strong palisade to protect the outpost they called the Tapuaeharuru Redoubt, overlooking the important river crossing at the outlet of the Waikato River.
It was here that a contingent of about 30 men from the Armed Constabulary were billeted from October 1869 until January 1870 when a careless trooper started a fire that burned down a whare and threatened the pa.
After this incident the AC contingent received new orders and quickly moved to the eastern bank and began to build a base on the opposite side of the river.
This was the era of the arrival of the telegraph - enabling instant communication with HQ in Auckland and other stations. By December 1870 the line was complete to Taupo - the lines can be seen in the photograph below. Six months later the Tapuaeharuru telegraph station had sent over a thousand messages.
Taupo Museum has permanent displays of early Maori cultural artifacts (photography prohibited), European settler tools etc, as well as information boards telling the story of early European settlement in the area.
Although the guided tour of historic sites has been discontinued due to lack of interest, a map is available with places of interest not far at all from the museum.
Nearby, on the far side of the present-day Police station interested visitors can find the beautifully restored courthouse, the remains of the Tapuaeharuru Armed Constabulary redoubt plus the well-restored powder magazine.
The on-site information boards are most helpful:
Lake Taupo and the thermal areas of the district have been the home of Maori for centuries, so when the first European visitors arrived they found established communities living around the lake, with perhaps 300 Maori living in the vicinity of Tapuaeharuru, the Maori name for what we now know as Taupo town.
Maori trails criss-crossed the North Island, with Lake Taupo being perhaps the most important point of convergence. Control of Taupo and its river crossings was essential to military communications. Tapuaeharuru was the most western of a lie of eight forts controlling the supply route into Napier and the Hawkes Bay where there were many settlers and much coastal trade.
Here was the most convenient place to cross the Waikato, so it was a vital military objective to protect and guard the area. There was no bridge, instead a ferry was used - a canoe crossing the waters using a rope strung between poles - a rather a precarious exercise at the best of times.
As the necessity for military action diminished the men of the Armed Constabulary began to settle in and expand the amenities in and around the redoubt at Tapuaeharuru. An officers’ mess, Commanding Officer’s house, stables, a magazine (built in 1874 for the storage of explosives used mainly in road building), were added. The men also cultivated vegetable gardens and planted fruit trees for their own use. They sought out hot springs in the area to relax and wash in and a library was added signifying there was more time for recreation.
By this time, the village was already known as Taupo, and the old name, Tapuaeharuru, became the name of the large bay in front of the town. In 1877, the Armed Constabulary headquarters shifted to Taupo from nearby Opepe township which began to die (see separate blog entry).
In contrast, the continued presence of the AC in Taupo, reasonable roads, telegraph and postal services all served to encourage the development of shops, hotels and other businesses (farriers, saddlers, masons and other trades) centred on the main road and the boat harbour.
The redoubt remained the hub of the township until 1886 when the New Zealand Constabulary Force was officially disbanded, however, by this time Taupo with its lake setting, geothermal and other natural attractions was well and truly on the map.
Below - an entrance gate and whare at Te Poihipi Tukairangi’s pa (fortified village) at Tapuaeharuru on the west bank of the Waikato River, in 1864. Painting by William Fox.
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The role of the Armed Constabulary was to combine the roles of both army and police by: “Putting down rebellion, quelling disturbances, preserving the peace, preventing robberies and other felonies, and apprehending offenders against the peace” - simple really.
In addition to peacekeeping the AC were expected to carry out public works: building roads, bridges, and fences, while installing and maintaining infrastructure for the new state-of-the-art communication system - telegraph lines and offices.
In Taupo they also ran the ferries and a general store, and were even requested to prospect for gold for the Government (without success).
 |
| Tapuaeharuru Redoubt |
troops in the region. A large block of land (including the present town site of Taupo and the Opepe site) was surveyed in 1869 and subsequently sold to the Crown.
From early in 1870, the No 6 contingent of the Armed Constabulary dug deep trenches and erected a strong palisade to protect the outpost they called the Tapuaeharuru Redoubt, overlooking the important river crossing at the outlet of the Waikato River.
It was here that a contingent of about 30 men from the Armed Constabulary were billeted from October 1869 until January 1870 when a careless trooper started a fire that burned down a whare and threatened the pa.
After this incident the AC contingent received new orders and quickly moved to the eastern bank and began to build a base on the opposite side of the river.
This was the era of the arrival of the telegraph - enabling instant communication with HQ in Auckland and other stations. By December 1870 the line was complete to Taupo - the lines can be seen in the photograph below. Six months later the Tapuaeharuru telegraph station had sent over a thousand messages.
Taupo Museum has permanent displays of early Maori cultural artifacts (photography prohibited), European settler tools etc, as well as information boards telling the story of early European settlement in the area.
Although the guided tour of historic sites has been discontinued due to lack of interest, a map is available with places of interest not far at all from the museum.
Nearby, on the far side of the present-day Police station interested visitors can find the beautifully restored courthouse, the remains of the Tapuaeharuru Armed Constabulary redoubt plus the well-restored powder magazine.
 |
| The restored courthouse |
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| The restored pumice powder magazine |
Lake Taupo and the thermal areas of the district have been the home of Maori for centuries, so when the first European visitors arrived they found established communities living around the lake, with perhaps 300 Maori living in the vicinity of Tapuaeharuru, the Maori name for what we now know as Taupo town.
Maori trails criss-crossed the North Island, with Lake Taupo being perhaps the most important point of convergence. Control of Taupo and its river crossings was essential to military communications. Tapuaeharuru was the most western of a lie of eight forts controlling the supply route into Napier and the Hawkes Bay where there were many settlers and much coastal trade.
Here was the most convenient place to cross the Waikato, so it was a vital military objective to protect and guard the area. There was no bridge, instead a ferry was used - a canoe crossing the waters using a rope strung between poles - a rather a precarious exercise at the best of times.
As the necessity for military action diminished the men of the Armed Constabulary began to settle in and expand the amenities in and around the redoubt at Tapuaeharuru. An officers’ mess, Commanding Officer’s house, stables, a magazine (built in 1874 for the storage of explosives used mainly in road building), were added. The men also cultivated vegetable gardens and planted fruit trees for their own use. They sought out hot springs in the area to relax and wash in and a library was added signifying there was more time for recreation.
By this time, the village was already known as Taupo, and the old name, Tapuaeharuru, became the name of the large bay in front of the town. In 1877, the Armed Constabulary headquarters shifted to Taupo from nearby Opepe township which began to die (see separate blog entry).
In contrast, the continued presence of the AC in Taupo, reasonable roads, telegraph and postal services all served to encourage the development of shops, hotels and other businesses (farriers, saddlers, masons and other trades) centred on the main road and the boat harbour.
The redoubt remained the hub of the township until 1886 when the New Zealand Constabulary Force was officially disbanded, however, by this time Taupo with its lake setting, geothermal and other natural attractions was well and truly on the map.
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| The view from the redoubt today |
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