Messenger Terrace (Ōākura)

Many of the early military campaigns of Taranaki bear the actions of William Bazire Messenger. Born in Essex in 1834, he emigrated with his family to Taranaki in 1853 where they took up a bush section in Ōmatā.

In 1858 he enlisted in the Taranaki Volunteers and was promoted to sergeant the following year. At the outbreak of the First Taranaki War in 1860, he assisted in the construction of the Ōmatā Stockade. Then in March 1860 he was commissioned as ensign in the Taranaki Militia and saw action in the battle of Waireka.

By 1862 he was promoted to lieutenant and in command of the Bell Block stockade.

In 1863 he was again promoted this time to captain and married Arabella Mace. With renewed fighting, he was involved in the battle of Allen's Hill.

William took command of 150 Taranaki Military Settlers from Melbourne in 1864 who built several blockhouses most notably the one at Pukearuhe (White Cliffs). During this period (1863-1868), Messenger represented Ōmatā on the Provincial Council.

At the end of hostilities, William and the Military Settlers took up allotted farms, his land grant being at Mimi. It was from here that he heard of the massacre of Rev. John Whiteley and the Gasgoigne family at Pukearuhe.

This prompted him to take up military life again. In 1871 he served in the Armed Constabulary in pursuit of Tītokowaru, after which he returned to Pukearuhe where the nearby Mt Messenger also bears his name.

In 1881 he commanded the Armed Constabulary as part of the force that occupied Parihaka. Promoted to major in 1885 and put in command of the Permanent Artillery, he took charge of the force that apprehended Te Kooti in 1889.

Messenger's illustrious career continued as colonel in the New Zealand Artillery with posts to the Boer War and on the staff of Prime Minister Richard Seddon.

He retired to New Plymouth in 1903 and died aged 88 on 8 April 1922.

One of his sons was the famed architect Frank Messenger.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.