Flagstaff War

Flagstaff War
Part of New Zealand Wars
Hōne Heke removing the British ensign from Flagstaff Hill.
Date 11 March 1845 – 11 January 1846 Location Northland, New Zealand Result Stalemate
Belligerents
United Kingdom Māori allies	Māori
Commanders and leaders
William Hulme Tāmati Wāka Nene Lieutenant Colonel Despard	Hōne Heke Te Ruki Kawiti
Strength
Land: 58th Regiment ~ 10 officers and 200 men; reinforced to 20 officers and 543 men 99th Regiment ~ 7 officers and 150 men Royal Marines ~ 2 officers and 80 men Royal Navy ~ 33 officers and 280 seaman Tāmati Wāka Nene ~ 450 warriors Auckland Volunteer Militia ~ 42 Sea: sloop-of-war (HMS Hazard) corvette (HMS North Star) 28-gun sixth rate (HMS Calliope) 18-gun sloop (HMS Racehorse) 18-gun sloop HEICS Elphinstone 36-gun fifth rate frigate (HMS Castor)	Hōne Heke ~ 250-300 warriors Te Ruki Kawiti ~ 150-200 warriors
Casualties and losses
82 killed 164 wounded	60-94 killed 80-148 wounded
Casualties of the Māori allied with the British are unknown.

The Flagstaff War – also known as Hōne Heke's Rebellion, the Northern War and the First Māori War – was fought between 11 March 1845 and 11 January 1846 in and around the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The conflict is best remembered for the actions of Hōne Heke who challenged the authority of the British by cutting down the flagstaff on Flagstaff Hill (Maiki Hill) at Kororāreka, now Russell. The flagstaff had been a gift from Hōne Heke to James Busby, the first British Resident. The Northern War involved many major actions, including the Battle of Kororāreka on 11 March 1845, the Battle of Ohaeawai on 23 June 1845 and the siege of Ruapekapeka Pā from 27 December 1845 to 11 January 1846.

The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi started on 6 February 1840, and conflict between the Crown and Māori tribes was to some extent inevitable after that. Ostensibly, the treaty established the legal basis for the British presence in New Zealand. However, the actions of Hōne Heke and Te Ruki Kawiti in 1844 reflect the controversy that began soon after the treaty was signed, over its meaning and the understanding of the Māori signatories as to whether they intended to transfer sovereignty to the Crown or whether they understood the intention of the treaty was to retain the independence of the Māori people, while ceding to the Crown the authority over the matters described in the Maori version of the treaty. (A controversy continues into the 21st century as the Waitangi Tribunal, in Te Paparahi o te Raki inquiry (Wai 1040) is engaged in the process of considering the Māori and Crown understandings of the Declaration of Independence of 1835 and the Treaty of Waitangi of 1840).

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