Battle of Kororāreka

This painting shows the Māori leader Hōne Heke cutting down the British flag pole in Kororāreka

The Battle of Kororāreka was a battle in New Zealand between Maori warriors and the British Army. It took place on 11 March 1845 in the small town of Kororāreka. Today that town is called Russell. The town is on the North Island of New Zealand. The Māori were unhappy with the problems in the town. They cut down the flag pole flying the British flag. Each time the Maori cut down the flag pole, the British Army made a new one. This happened three times. When the British Army put the flag pole back a fourth time, the Māori attacked the town. Hōne Heke and Te Ruki Kawiti were the leaders of the Māori. William Hulme was the leader of the British soldiers. The Maori had many more fighters than the British. There were 600 Māori warriors and only 140 British soldiers. The Māori won the battle. The town was destroyed in the fighting. The British Army left the town. The British citizens living there also left. British and American ships waiting in the harbour took them to Auckland.