The City of Auckland, New Zealand, 1840-1920. John Barr
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chief, Maki, came from Ngati-Awa of Taranaki. Coming northward with his people he seemed to have gradually worked his way via Kawhia and Waikato to Tamaki, capturing the Rarotonga (Mount Smart) pa, where for a time he dwelt. Here he was visited by the chiefs of Kaipara, descendants of Titahi. They requested his assistance in warfare against the Kawerau, an ancient aboriginal people, who had become intermixed with the Tini-o-Toi. Responding to this invitation, and reinforced by a large section of Tamaki people, he invaded Kaipara with great success, attacking ultimately, like Strongbow of old, the people whom he had come to assist. He then turned his attention to the Waitakerei and Mahurangi districts, with like results, and extended his doings to the outlying islands—Tiritiri, Kawau and Waiheke, finishing up at Maraetai. Afterwards he departed as he came, returning, it is said, to the southern districts of Taranaki.
KAWHARU’S INVASION FROM KAIPARA
This affair resulted from some tribal differences in the Waitakerei-Kaipara borderland, about 1680. Kawharu (who was a chief connected with the Northern Ngati-Whatua) attacked the tribes in those districts, driving all before him. He assaulted also many of the Tamaki villages, continuing his campaign until he reached as far as the Paparoa headland, east of Howick. Capturing and destroying the pa there, he returned to Kaipara.
Interior of a Maori Pa, about the year 1840
After a painting shown at the Colonial Indian Exhibition, London
WARS WITH HAURAKI GULF TRIBES
To the south-east were the powerful Hauraki coastal tribes, who, like those of Tamaki, had gone through much the same history. Also descended from the Patu-paiarehe, they had gradually incorporated their pedigrees with those of the Tainui, Arawa and other people. The earliest warfare on record of Tamaki with these people originated (so says the legend) when the Tamaki tribes slew the pet seal belonging to the Hauraki people. Strange to say, this animal (named “Ureia”) was on a visit to Manukau Harbour, at the invitation of the Tamaki people, and there it met its untimely end. Surely the most unusual of Maori casus belli. Maru-tuahu, as the tribes of the Hauraki district were called, then invaded Tamaki. They attacked among other places the Maunga-whau (Mount Eden) pa. After various other successes they returned homewards.
THE MURDER OF KAHURAUTAO
Subsequent to this affair was the warfare resulting from the murder of Kahurautao, his son Kiwi, and other Maru-tuahu chiefs. These people were returning from Waikato by canoe via Manukau and Tamaki. They had visited the Tamaki chiefs at Mount Eden and other places, and on their return to their canoes at the Tamaki River they were waylaid and murdered near where St. John’s College now stands, hence the name of that place, “Paru-tahi”—killed together. The Maru-tuahu tribes, under Kahu’s son Rau-tao, thereupon invaded Tamaki. They attacked with success the riverside pas at Tamaki, also those at Mount Eden, One Tree Hill and Orakei. Crossing to Takapuna, they scoured along the coast as far as Mahurangi. Apparently all those people, being Ngai-Tai, were of one tribal identity. This was not the last time these coastal tribes suffered in this way.
KAPETAWA’S INVASION
Thereafter occurred the affair of Kapetawa. When a mere lad, this chief, while on a visit from Waiheke to his sister, who had married Taramokomoko, a chieftain of Kohimarama, got into several scrapes, as boys were much the same then as ever, but when he, as the ringleader with kindred spirits, plundered the kumara store of his brother-in-law, he got into disfavour with Taramokomoko, who marooned him on the Bean Rock off the shore. Being rescued by his sister, he returned home, where he grew to manhood among his own people, the Ngati-Paoa, at Waiheke. He then organised a war party to avenge the long-remembered insult. Surprising the pas at Kohimarama, Orakei, etc., he crossed to Takapuna, destroying several villages there and along the outer coast, where the erring brother-in-law, the cause of all this trouble, was caught and killed at Raho-para—a pa on the northern headland of the Wairau Creek (Milford).
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Kiwi Tamaki (1720-1750)
We now come to the era of Kiwi Tamaki, the last, and undoubtedly the most notorious, of the olden Tamaki chiefs. He was so called to distinguish him from other men of that name.
His parents, Te Ikamaupoho and Te Tahuri, united in their ancestry all that was aristocratic in lineal descent from the ancient Patu-paiarehe, Nga-Oho (People of Toi), Ngati-Awa, Arawa, Tainui, etc. Despite the many repeated invasions and incessant warfare within their territories, the Tamaki people at this time were apparently in their “golden age.”
The family home was the citadel of One Tree Hill. The mother, Te Tahuri, was renowned for her hospitality and industry. The resources of the district and the extent of the fortifications and cultivation were famous far and near. On the Manukau and Waitemata, large fleets of canoes for fishing and war purposes were maintained. Hence the proverb “Te pai me te whai-rawa o Tamaki”—the luxury and wealth of Tamaki.
The many previously described wars had ere this earned for the Isthmus the appropriate motto “Tamaki-makau-Rau” (i.e., The spouse contested for us by a hundred lovers).
Surrounded by all this Maori opulence, Kiwi grew to manhood. He early developed an arrogant and turbulent disposition. When on a visit to Ngati-Whatua to attend a funeral feast held near Helensville, Kiwi treacherously slew several of the local chiefs and a prominent chieftainess, named Tahataha. Following this up with other murders on his homeward journey, he reached the supposed safety of his tribal domains. The Ngati-Whatua promptly retaliated, and before Kiwi realised their intentions, they arrived in canoes from Pitoitoi (Brigham’s Creek, near Riverhead) and successfully attacked the Waitemata foreshore villages. Kiwi then advanced, and met a Kaipara war party coming overland, at Titirangi. After some skirmishing, they defeated Kiwi, who returned to One Tree Hill. The Ngati-Whatua then advanced to the Tamaki Heads, where they captured the Taurere pa, and again returned to Kaipara, losing some of their chiefs in ambush near Remuera.
Returning, however, in greater force, one party crossed the Manukau and attacked the Tipitai (Awhitu) and other villages.
Kiwi had meanwhile organised his tribesmen, and, reinforced from the southern districts, he advanced against the Kaipara. The forces met again at Titirangi. After much skirmishing, ending in a feigned retreat, the Ngati-Whatua advanced rapidly. The retreat became a “debacle,” only ending on the shores of the Manukau, where at Paruroa (Big Muddy Creek) Kiwi fell. All the important Tamaki chieftains fell that day, hence the name of this Maori Bannockburn, “Te Rangi-hinganga-tahi” (The day when all fell together).
This battle took place about 1750. Tamaki was now at the mercy of Ngati-Whatua, who advanced, easily disposing of such defenders as remained to dispute their progress.
Having depopulated Tamaki, Ngati-Whatua then returned to Kaipara. On their departure, some of the Tamaki refugees again returned to the Waitemata and re-occupied several villages on the harbour side. Ngati-Whatua, hearing of this, sent another expedition, which attacked and finally drove these people away. Tuperiri, the Ngati-Whatua leader, and his tribesmen, then returned to Tamaki and made their home at One Tree Hill and other places. After capturing the last remaining forts at Mangere, they held undisputed sway over this land. Most of the Tamaki people had been slain. Some were enslaved, and a remnant fled into Waikato and Hauraki.
Thus ends the story of the ancient tribes of Tamaki.
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The Ngati-Whatua Era in Tamaki
Ngati-Whatua