Te Mamaku

Hemi Topine Te Mamaku, c1790- June 1887. Maori Chief. Born and raised in the Wanganui area. During the Musket Wars Te Mamaku was sometimes allied with Te Rauparaha and sometimes fought against him.

However at the outbreak of the Hutt Valley Campaign in 1846 he was firmly on the side of Te Rangihaeata in resisting the encroachment of European settlers onto Maori land. Te Mamaku and warriors of his hapu were with Te Rangihaeata in the attack on Boulcott's Farm in May 1846. Afterwards, he sent letters to other chiefs in the Wanganui area urging them to join in the conflict. Some were intercepted and forwarded to the government, which may have precipitated George Grey's decision to arrest Te Rauparaha.

Returning to Wanganui in September 1846, Te Mamuku told the 200 European settlers that he had no quarrel with them and would protect them from attack by other Maori, but that he would not tolerate the presence of government troops. Naturally, two months later, the government decided to station troops at Wanganui.

There was some skirmishing, but nothing serious. Then in April 1847 a Maori was executed for the murder of a settler family. Te Mamaku reckoned he should have been handed over to tribal justice. Raids on the outlying farms intensified and then, in May, Te Mamaku led the war party that began a serious siege of the town. Neither side was particularly keen to attack the other until July when there was an inconclusive battle. Casualties were similar on both sides and honour was satisfied so the Wanganui Campaign was over. It was to be seventeen years before there was any further fighting between Maori and Pakeha in the district.

In 1857 Te Mamaku was offered the Maori Kingship. He declined, but he did join the King Movement in their opposition to the sale of Maori land. He did not get involved in the Battle of Moutoa Island but was probably fighting alongside the Hau Hau forces at Ohoutahi, Second Taranaki War.

Despite this, within a few years he was regarded as a man of peace and had the respect of the government. He opposed Te Kooti but was firm in his belief that the King Country was sacrosanct Maori territory even to the extent of executing one man who persisted in entering the area. In 1880 he joined Kepa te Rangihiwinui in trust to protect the Maori land of the upper Wanganui River from sale to the Pakeha.

However in his later years he appears to have accepted many of the changes that Europeanization brought to his area.

He died June 1887 at Taumarunui.