Hone Heke - The Legacy of Hone Heke

The Legacy of Hone Heke

The ingenious design of the Ohaeawai Pā and the Ruapekapeka Pā became known to other Māori tribes. These designs were the basis of what is now called the gunfighter pā that were built during the later New Zealand Wars. The capture of Ruapekapeka Pā can be considered a British tactical victory, but it was purpose-built as a target for the British, and its loss was not damaging; Heke and Kawiti managed to escape with their forces intact.

It is clear that Kawiti and Heke made considerable gains from the war, despite the British victory at Ruapekapeka. After the war's conclusion, Heke enjoyed a considerable surge in prestige and authority. The missionary Richard Davis, writing on the 28th August 1846, stated that "amongst his countrymen, as a patriot, he has raised himself to the very pinnacle of honour, and is much respected wherever he goes".

Following the conflict Hone Heke retired to Kaikohe. There, two years later, he died of tuberculosis on 7 August 1850. The Rev. Richard Davis performed a Christian ceremony and then one of his wives, Rongo and other followers who had been his bodyguards for many years, took his body to a cave near Pakaraka, called Umakitera. In April 2011 it was announced by David Rankin, of the Hone Heke Foundation, that the bones of Hone Heke would be moved and buried at a public cemetery, as the land near the cave was being developed, and in May 2011 he supervised the move; although some Ngāpuhi questioned his right to do so.