Family History Stories - John Clark Lidiard

Elizabeth arrived at Akaroa Harbour, on Banks Peninsula, home of Ngai Tahu's paramount chief Te Maiharanui. The northern warriors remained below deck, hidden from the unsuspecting southerners for several days. Eventually Te Maiharanui, his young daughter, and later his wife, were welcomed aboard the ship by Captain Stewart, believing he wanted to negotiate a deal for a cargo of flax.

Once the chief was onboard, Te Rauparaha and his warriors leapt from their hiding places, and captured him. It’s said he was attached to the ship by a hook through the skin under his jaw, but it was a European crew member that first clamped the chief in irons. Unable to escape, Te Maiharanui could do nothing but listen to the screams of terror as northern warriors went ashore, and killed his people.

Mission accomplished, Captain Stewart weighed anchor and sailed back to Te Rauparaha’s home at Kapati Island, the prisoners still onboard along with many baskets of the victims flesh for feasting on. During the voyage, Te Maiharanui managed to kill his own daughter, rather than see her fall into enemy hands. When Te Rauparaha realised this he was consumed with anger and as soon as they reached Kapiti Coast, he handed his captives over to the wives of the chief’s earlier killed at Kaiapoi, who slowly and cruelly tortured the southern chief and his wife to death.

This event was a sorry affair for Ngai Tahu, they now lived in constant dread of Te Rauparaha returning, and it was a fear well founded. Not content with killing the tribe’s paramount chief, Te Rauparaha was now intent on wiping out the entire tribe. His next raid was back to the stronghold of Kaiapoi and after a lengthy siege he overtook the pa, killing many people inside. Those who survived fled across the hills to Banks Peninsula but still they couldn’t escape the wrath of the northern chief.

His final assault was on the tiny peninsula inside Akaroa harbour, Onawe. There a fort had been quickly built to defend the region’s remaining Maori. When Te Rauparaha’s war canoes entered the harbour everyone fled to the safety of the fortified pa.

Seeing that they had access to food and water, Te Rauparaha realised a siege would not work here, so he set about preparing his final plan. Using survivors taken prisoner from Kaiapoi as decoys, Te Rauparaha lured some of the bewildered Ngai Tahu out. Once the gates were open and defences down his warriors set upon the pa, killing everyone inside. Only a handful of people survived by fleeing into the hills, and for some time after this Banks Peninsula was depopulated.

"Here you will find over 60 of Canterbury and Kaikoura's best day walks, which will take you to the great outdoors either fossicking in the limestone country of Castle Hill, testing yourself on the arid slopes of the Torlesse Mountains, or exploring the waterfalls and mountains around Arthur's Pass village."