Nga Tohu

In 1840 more than 500 chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document. Ngā Tohu, when complete, will contain a biographical sketch of each signatory.


Signing

SignatureSheetSigned asProbable nameTribeHapūSigning Occasion
8Sheet 2 — The Manukau-Kāwhia SheetTe WaruKīngi Hōri Te WaruNgāti ManiapotoNgāti Te ApakuraKāwhia 25 May 1840

Kīngi Hōri Te Waru, also known as Haunui, signed the Manukau-Kāwhia sheet of the Treaty of Waitangi on 25 May 1840 at an unknown location near Kāwhia. He was a Ngāti Apakura rangatira (chief) from Rangiaowhia (sometimes spelled Rangiaohia), near Te Awamutu, and was mostly involved in agriculture.

Te Waru had travelled to Australia, where he decided to support the implementation of British law in Aotearoa (New Zealand). Te Waru and Hoani Pāpita Kahawai wrote to Queen Victoria to tell her about their progress in adopting Pākehā ways of working the land. They had bought a mill, carts, ploughs and horses, and sent a gift of flour as thanks for the queen’s goodness. In reply she sent them two framed pictures of the royal family. Te Waru hired a Pākehā named Carter to work the land with him. Carter paid for half of the equipment and kept half of the crops.

Hōri Te Waru and others from Rangiaowhia wrote to Governor George Grey when he was about to leave New Zealand in 1853. Te Waru wrote:

Our love for you is great because you have shown us much kindness. You have elevated us and provided teachers to instruct our children and implant good principles in their hearts. [1]

In 1854 missionary John Morgan wrote to government land agent Donald McLean to remind him of Te Waru’s wish to sell land at Waipā to pay for the building of a church at Rangiaowhia.

Te Waru became involved in the Kīngitanga (Māori King) movement. In July 1863, during the Waikato War, Te Waru (at this time well-known as ‘King George’) and his son Taati led an attack on a British military escort at Koheroa before withdrawing to Rangiriri. In November 1863 several hundred Kīngitanga fighters were taken prisoner at Rangiriri. They wrote to Wiremu Tāmihana Tarapīpīpī Te Waharoa, Te Waru and other Kīngitanga leaders in November, saying that 175 of them were being held at the Queen’s Redoubt (Pōkeno). They asked for Waikato to join them in peace; ‘Let the mana be given up to the Governor.’ [2]

Te Waru lost his land as a result of siding with the ‘rebels’. At his tangi (funeral) at Kāwhia in 1871, the chief speaker, Tāpihana, was reported to have said ‘that there would be no peace, and that the killing of Europeans should not cease’. [3]


[1] Quoted in ‘“Aroha” for the governor.’ New Zealand Railways Magazine, vol. 8, no. 2, 1 June 1933, p. 19

[2] Taranaki Herald, 5 December 1863, p. 3

[3] Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 3 June 1871, p. 5


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Rititia Royal

Posted: 14 May 2019

MY GGGF WAS ALSO KNOWN AS HORI TE WARU, HOWEVER NOT KINGI HORI TE WARU. HE DID SIGN TREATY OF WAITANGI HERE IN OTAKI. WE ARE NGATI RAUKAWA KI TE TONGA. I am 5th generation of Hori Te Waru living in Otaki.

Laurie Gill

Posted: 13 Dec 2017

Hori te wary ' George the 8th ' George king ' king George ' The race starter ' littrely Maori and pakiha ' this happend when MA married Hori ' And paki married Hanna ' this man was a genius well ahead of his time ' iv lots of info interested? [email protected]

Hohepa Waru

Posted: 15 Jul 2016

Tena koe I've learnt recently that our last name was was Te Waru but the Te was dropped i'm curious to know if you have any knowledge of this which would be help for our whanau in the future. My linage is tracable as far as Nga Porou on the east coast in Uawa from my great great grandfather Paku Ataira Waru any light shed on this would be appreciated.