Flagstaff Hill, New Zealand

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For the hill overlooking the New Zealand city of Dunedin, see Flagstaff, New Zealand

The modern-day flagstaff, remnant of the fifth flagstaff.

Hone Heke fells the flag pole at Kororareka. Painting by Arthur David McCormick.

Flagstaff Hill is a hill overlooking the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Directly north of the small historical village of Russell, the flagstaff on the hill played a significant role in early relations between the local Māori iwi and early British colonials.

1 History
2 Tourism
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

After the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in February 1840 at Waitangi, across the bay, relations between the two races soon began to deteriorate again. Hone Heke, a local Māori chief, began to resent the flagstaff flying the Union Jack above the bay, and was also angry at the fact that the capital of New Zealand had been moved from Okiato (Old Russell) to Auckland in 1841, much reducing the local trade with the foreigners. He had also been told by ships from other nations that the flag represented slavery for the Māori,^{[citation needed]} adding to the contrasting meanings the two races saw in the treaty wording. To add insult to injury, the flagstaff had originally been presented to the British by the Māori.^{[citation needed]}

Hone Heke chopped down the flagstaff three times (it was always re-erected by the British) before 1845, and in that year, in the early moves of what would be called the 'Flagstaff War' or the 'Northland Land War', he succeeded in diverting the forces defending Russell, to land at the hill and chop it down for a fourth time on 11 March 1845.^[1] The British did not re-erect the flagstaff again, fearing to provoke further conflict.

After peace was restored, the Māori eventually raised a new flagstaff at the location as an offering of friendship.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Tourism

The hill is a favoured destination for many of the tourists coming to Russell, with walking tracks leading up the hill, which provides sweeping views over the bay. The bush around the hill is also Kiwi territory,^[2] though the birds are too shy to be seen by passing wanderers.