January 1869
Siege of Ngātapa
At a glance
- When
- January 1869
- Where
- Ngātapa, inland Gisborne · Bay of Plenty
- Conflict
- New Zealand Wars (1843–1881)
- Involved
- Te Kooti vs government and Ngāti Porou forces
Location unconfirmed
The map point for this place has not been confirmed against a published reference yet. Treat it as indicative only. Public access to this location has not been established — please respect private land, urupā and wāhi tapu.
What happened here?
After a months-long pursuit, Te Kooti's people were besieged at the clifftop pā of Ngātapa by government and Ngāti Porou forces under Rāpata Wahawaha and Colonel Whitmore. In early January 1869 Te Kooti and his lieutenants escaped down the cliffs at night. Accounts of what followed differ and cannot be reconciled into one figure: NZHistory describes around 120 of his people killed, most after capture, while the Waitangi Tribunal gives a range of 86 to 128 prisoners executed. The Tribunal found the executions of unarmed prisoners at Ngātapa to be one of the worst abuses of law and human rights in New Zealand's colonial history.