Te Wheoro's Redoubt at Rangiriri
The visitor to Rangiriri will find several sites of interest here: the main battle site of Rangiriri Pa, the Rangiriri museum, the Rangiriri cemetery, and Te Wheoro’s Redoubt.
Te Wheoro’s Redoubt, was originally (in 1864) a series of rifle pits comprising part of the Maori defences at Rangiriri, and was over-run by the British early-on during the battle. It overlooks Lake Kopuera.
In the closing stages of the battle of Rangiriri many of the Maori women tried to escape from the main fortifications of Rangiriri pa across nearby Lake Kopuera - some with smaller children strapped to their backs. British soldiers had been stationed on the hill-top and shot them down as they fled.
Their bodies have never been recovered and so lie at the bottom of the lake to this day. For this reason Lake Kopuera remains a sacred and tapu place (wahi tapu).
After their victory at Rangiriri the British built a redoubt here on top of the hill, and left a small garrison to prevent Maori returning to the area. Three years later the troops were withdrawn and the pro-government Ngati Haho chief Te Wheoro and some thirty warriors took over the fortification.
Later the site was modified again, during the time when the Crown was pursuing Te Kooti from the East Coast.
The redoubt is named after Wiremu Te Morehu Maipapa Te Wheoro (1826-1895).
Te Wheoro was a Queenite supporter and a captain (later major) in the colonial militia. He took an active part in the Waikato War - assisting the British with logistics and as a guide.
However, he was more of a diplomat than a soldier - after the battle of Rangiriri he acted as an intermediary between the Government and the King Movement, and in the 1870’s worked at Premier Grey’s side to attempt reconcile the two parties - unfortunately to no avail.
A member of Parliament 1879-1884, he became a fierce critic of the Government’s Maori policy, accompanying King Tawhiao’s protest deputation to England in 1884.
Also see the video of my visit to the redoubt in June 2017:
https://youtu.be/IwGNjSclUco
“wheoro” = “to reverberate/to rumble” (?)
Lake Kopuera - may mean “deep hole”
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| Wiremu Te Morehu Maipapa Te Wheoro |
In the closing stages of the battle of Rangiriri many of the Maori women tried to escape from the main fortifications of Rangiriri pa across nearby Lake Kopuera - some with smaller children strapped to their backs. British soldiers had been stationed on the hill-top and shot them down as they fled.
Their bodies have never been recovered and so lie at the bottom of the lake to this day. For this reason Lake Kopuera remains a sacred and tapu place (wahi tapu).
After their victory at Rangiriri the British built a redoubt here on top of the hill, and left a small garrison to prevent Maori returning to the area. Three years later the troops were withdrawn and the pro-government Ngati Haho chief Te Wheoro and some thirty warriors took over the fortification.
Later the site was modified again, during the time when the Crown was pursuing Te Kooti from the East Coast.
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| Car park at the redoubt |
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| Lake Kopuera |
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| Site map |
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| Signpost at Rangiriri |
The redoubt is named after Wiremu Te Morehu Maipapa Te Wheoro (1826-1895).
Te Wheoro was a Queenite supporter and a captain (later major) in the colonial militia. He took an active part in the Waikato War - assisting the British with logistics and as a guide.
However, he was more of a diplomat than a soldier - after the battle of Rangiriri he acted as an intermediary between the Government and the King Movement, and in the 1870’s worked at Premier Grey’s side to attempt reconcile the two parties - unfortunately to no avail.
A member of Parliament 1879-1884, he became a fierce critic of the Government’s Maori policy, accompanying King Tawhiao’s protest deputation to England in 1884.
Also see the video of my visit to the redoubt in June 2017:
https://youtu.be/IwGNjSclUco
“wheoro” = “to reverberate/to rumble” (?)
Lake Kopuera - may mean “deep hole”
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