This New Zealand Historic Places plaque, on the corner of Waireka Road West and Sutton Road, Ōmata, marks the 1860 Battle of Waireka.
The pa, Kaipopo, attacked by marines from HMS Niger, was on a knoll 200 metres further down Waireka Road. The Omata/Waireka Cemetery is a little further on. The remaining earthworks over the fence from the plaque are those of the large Waireka Camp which was erected in July 1860 by the 12th and 40th Regiments.
The plaque was unveiled on 6 November 1958 by NZHPT Chairman, Ormond Wilson.
The plaque reads:
ABOUT THIS HILL THE FIRST MAJOR
ENGAGEMENT OF THE TARANAKI
WAR THE BATTLE OF WAIREKA
WAS FOUGHT 28 MARCH 1860
(Note: This was not the first engagement of the Taranaki War as Te Kohia (the L-Pa) at Waitara was attacked on 17/18 March 1860)
A similar plaque at Māhoetahi was unveiled on the same day.
The inscription on the plaque read:
Battle of Mahoetahi
6th November 1860
Maori who fell are buried on this hill
Books
Battle of Waireka 1860, Rawson, D H TRCT993.482 BAT
The Battle of Waireka: 28 March 1860: an anthology of firsthand accounts, Kenyon, Graeme TRCT993.48 KEN
After Waireka, Kenyon, Graeme TRCT993.48 KEN
New Zealand Settlers and Soldiers: Or, the war in Taranaki: being incidents in the life of a settler, Gilbert, Thomas, TRCT993.022 GIL
Related documents
The Battle of Waireka, by Ruihi, The New Zealand Illustrated News, December 1900
Plan of the ground covered by action at Waireka ARC2005.72
Link'Where the Waireka battle was fought' PHO2009-114
LinkSite of Kaipopo Pa, Waireka, PHO2009-063
LinkJournal of Captain Cracroft of H.M.S "Niger" - New Zealand, ARC2006-23
LinkRev. Henry Handley Brown, M.A. Oxon, ARC2001-72
LinkScoll "Roll of Militia and Volunteers present at Waireka Engagement on 28 March 1860", A66.496
LinkThe Waireka Battlefield, PHO2009-039
LinkThe Battle of Waireka: lights, camera, action, Sorrell Hoskin, 13 June 2005
LinkPlease do not reproduce these images without permission from Puke Ariki.
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