Early Naval Vessels of New Zealand - Land Wars

Land Wars

From 1840 immigration, mainly from the United Kingdom, increased markedly. New Zealand became a colony in its own right on 3 May 1841, and the New Zealand Constitution Act of 1852 established central and provincial governments.

As more European immigrants (Pākehā) arrived, the pressure on the indigenous Māori to sell land increased. Māori initially welcomed Pākehā for the trading opportunities and the opportunity to learn new technologies, but by the late 1850s some Maori began to resent the loss of their autonomy. The Hapu (sub-tribes) who willingly sold their land by the late 1850s were refusing to sell and putting pressure on other Maori to do the same. Some tribes such at Ngāi Tahu in the South Island sold vast areas of land. For Māori, land (whenua) was not just an economic resource but the basis of their identity and a connection with their ancestors. Land was normally in the control of the chiefs of hapu. Land sale records show that hapu and their leaders still willingly sold land to the government. Pākehā ,especially from 1860, were keen to buy more land. This clashed with the decision of the Kingitanga Maori in the Waikato to refuse to sell.

This refusal to sell land and an attempt to set up an independent Kingitanga state was seen as rebellion by the government and was the primary cause of the New Zealand Wars in the 1860s, when the Taranaki and Waikato regions were invaded by colonial troops. On their defeat in 1864 the Māori rebels forfeited some of their land. 3% of New Zealand's land was taken, although large areas of this were reserved for Maori and some of the land was never surveyed or occupied and subsequently returned to Maori. Defeat of the rebels was aided by the large flotilla of vessels bought to New Zealand by General Cameron in 1863 to operate in the Waikato River. The flotilla comprised shallow draught boats, including gunboats and barges for transporting troops and supplies, as the front line moved progressively south. Many of these vessels wee sourced from Australia and captained by experienced Australian officers. Cameron also opened a second maritime link by bringing troops and supplies over the Raglan bar and building a redoubt at Raglan. Troops were marched over an old Maori trail that was widened by the Forest Rangers to allow access to the area north of Pirongia.