Flagstaff War - Sacking of Kororareka When The Flagstaff Was Cut Down Again

Sacking of Kororareka When The Flagstaff Was Cut Down Again

The next attack on the flagstaff on 11 March 1845 was a more serious affair. There were incidents between the Ngāpuhi warriors led by Hone Heke, Kawiti and Kapotai on 7 and 8 March. A truce was declared for the next day, a Sunday, during which the Protestant Missionary Archdeacon Brown entered the camp of Heke and performed a service for him and his people. A Catholic Priest conducted a service for those warriors of Kawiti's followers that were Christians. Next day, Ngāpuhi warriors approached Kororareka but were fired upon. An account of the preparation for the attack later given by the CMS missionaries was that on Monday the 10th the plans of Heke were disclosed to Gilbert Mair, who informed Police Magistrate Beckham, who then informed Lieutenant Philpotts of the Hazard, however the "information was received with indifference, not unmingled with contempt".

At dawn on Tuesday 11 March, a force of about 600 Māori armed with muskets, double-barrelled guns and tomahawks attacked Kororareka. Hone Heke's men attacked the guard post, killing all the defenders and cutting down the flagstaff for the fourth time. At the same time, possibly as a diversion, Te Ruki Kawiti and his men attacked the town of Kororareka. In the early afternoon the powder magazine at Polack’s Stockade exploded and surrounding buildings caught fire. The garrison, of about 100 men, managed to hold the perimeter while the town was evacuated to the ships moored in the bay. Lieutenant Philpotts of HMS Hazard ordered the bombardment of Kororareka. Europeans and Māori proceeded to plunder the buildings and most buildings in the north of the town were burned. However Heke had ordered that the southern end of the town, which included the missionaries' homes and the church, should be left untouched. Tāmati Wāka Nene and his men did not fight with the Ngāpuhi who sacked Kororareka.

The next morning, all surviving inhabitants of Kororareka sailed for Auckland in the Hazard, (whose sailors had taken part in the fighting ashore), the 21-gun United States corvette USS St. Louis, the Government brigantine Victoria and the schooner Dolphin. Nineteen or 20 Europeans had been killed and about 23 wounded. Heke and Kawiti were victorious and the Pākehā (Europeans) had been humbled.