117-466: The Great South Basin is an area of mainly sea to the south of the South Island of New Zealand . Starting in the 1960s, the area was explored and drilled for oil deposits by various, mostly international minerals companies — including Hunt Oil — but by 1984 all of these companies had left empty-handed. With advances in seismic surveying and drilling technology, hopes have been raised once again for
234-603: A Southern Mayoral Council . Supported by Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton and Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt , Bob Parker said that increased cooperation and the forming of a new South Island-wide mayoral forum were essential to representing the island's interests in Wellington and countering the new Auckland Council . There are 23 territorial authorities within the South Island: 4 city councils and 19 district councils. Three territorial authorities ( Nelson City Council , and
351-520: A Provincial Council that elected its own Speaker and Superintendent. Secession movements have surfaced several times in the South Island. A Premier of New Zealand , Sir Julius Vogel , was amongst the first people to make this call, which was voted on by the New Zealand Parliament as early as 1865. The desire for the South Island to form a separate colony was one of the main factors in moving
468-778: A basis for the government of the colony, which was centralised in Auckland . New Munster consisted of the South Island. The name New Munster was given by the Governor of New Zealand , Captain William Hobson , in honour of Munster , the Irish province in which he was born. The situation was altered in 1846 when the New Zealand Constitution Act 1846 divided the colony into two provinces : New Ulster Province (the North Island north of
585-417: A battle during their intensive campaign, they mysteriously abandoned a strong position at Tauranga-ika Pā and Tītokowaru's army immediately began to disperse. Kimble Bent , who lived as a slave with Tītokowaru's hapū after deserting from the 57th Regiment, told Cowan 50 years later the chief had lost his mana tapu , or sacred power, after committing adultery with the wife of another chief. Once Tītokowaru
702-607: A bid to break down supposed Māori support for Volkner's killers and confiscated additional land in Hawke's Bay a year later after a rout of a Māori party it deemed a threat to the settlement of Napier. War flared again in Taranaki in June 1868 as Riwha Tītokowaru , chief of Ngāruahine , responded to the continued surveying and settlement of confiscated land with well-planned and effective attacks on settlers and government troops in an effort to block
819-487: A few hundred kūpapa (Māori that fought for the British) for a combined force of about 14,000. In November 1864 Premier Frederick Weld introduced a policy of "self-reliance" for New Zealand, which included the gradual but complete withdrawal of Imperial troops, who would be replaced by a colonial force of 1,500. The move came at a time of rising conflict between Grey, who sought more extensive military operations to "pacify"
936-617: A few hundred and about 1,500. In response to a call from Governor Browne for reinforcements, the Victorian Government sent its first and only warship, HMVS Victoria , to supply men and perform shore bombardments and coastal patrols, while maintaining supply routes between ports. Sailors from the crew served ashore in combat, and in August 1860, the Victoria rescued 100 civilians from the besieged town of New Plymouth . The ship's service in
1053-431: A forward camp. A long series of bush raids on his supply lines forced Cameron to build an extensive network of forts and redoubts through the area. In a continual buildup of force, Cameron eventually had 14,000 British and colonial soldiers at his disposal, including 2,500 volunteers from Australia who were integrated into the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Waikato militia regiments; as well as steamers and armoured vessels for use on
1170-413: A four-year guerrilla war, involving more than 30 expeditions by colonial and Māori troops against Te Kooti's dwindling number of warriors. Although initially fighting defensively against pursuing government forces, Te Kooti went on the offensive from November 1868, starting with the so-called Poverty Bay massacre, a well-organised lightning strike against selected European settlers and Māori opponents in
1287-520: A generous franchise. Grey implemented the ordinance with such deliberation that neither Council met before advice was received that the United Kingdom Parliament had passed the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 . This act dissolved these provinces in 1853, after only seven years' existence, and New Munster was divided into the provinces of Wellington Province , Canterbury , Nelson , and Otago . Each province had its own legislature known as
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#17328484719961404-464: A metropolitan population of 521,881, and the smaller Dunedin (population 134,600). The economy relies on agriculture, fishing, tourism, and general manufacturing and services. Prior to European settlement, Te Waipounamu was sparsely populated by three major iwi , Kāi Tahu , Kāti Māmoe , and the historical Waitaha , with major settlements including in Kaiapoi Pā near modern-day Christchurch . During
1521-437: A population of 1,185,282 at the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 80,745 people (7.3%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 180,882 people (18.0%) since the 2013 census . Of the total population, 202,311 people (17.1%) were aged under 15 years, 225,048 (19.0%) were 15 to 29, 538,965 (45.5%) were 30 to 64, and 218,958 (18.5%) were 65 or older. At the 2018 census, there were 571,656 males and 577,914 females, giving
1638-520: A population of 1,260,000 as of June 2024, the South Island is home to 24% of New Zealand's 5.3 million inhabitants. After the 1860s gold rushes in the early stages of European settlement of the country, the South Island had the majority of the European population and wealth. The North Island's population overtook the South Island's in the early 20th century, with 56% of the New Zealand population living in
1755-414: A potential oil strike. Since 2006, new tenders for drilling rights have been issued. In 2010, ExxonMobil and Todd Energy relinquished their exploration rights, citing technical difficulties and the harshness of the environment. Royal Dutch Shell subsequently purchased a stake in a joint venture headed by OMV New Zealand, with drilling announced at the start of 2014. In 2020, OMV plugged and abandoned
1872-465: A priest and prophet of the extremist Hauhau movement of the Pai Mārire religion, reviving ancient rites of cannibalism and propitiation of Māori gods with the human heart torn from the first slain in a battle. Although Tītokowaru's forces were numerically small and initially outnumbered in battle twelve to one by government troops, the ferocity of their attacks provoked fear among settlers and prompted
1989-457: A quarter of the country's population, the South Island is sometimes humorously nicknamed the "mainland" of New Zealand by its residents. The island is also known as Te Waka a Māui which means " Māui 's Canoe ". In some modern alliterations of Māori legends, the South Island existed first, as the boat of Māui, while the North Island was the fish that he caught . Various Māori iwi sometimes use different names, with some preferring to call
2106-614: A series of damaging raids in which crops and villages were destroyed, after other Māori iwi were lured by the promise of a £5,000 reward for Te Kooti's capture. Te Kooti was finally granted sanctuary by the Māori king in 1872 and moved to the King Country , where he continued to develop rituals, texts and prayers of his Ringatū faith. He was formally pardoned by the government in February 1883 and died in 1893. A 2013 Waitangi Tribunal report said
2223-504: A sex ratio of 0.99 males per female. In the early years of European settlement in New Zealand, the South Island's overall percentage of the New Zealand population was far higher, equalling or even exceeding the population of the North Island. This was exacerbated by the New Zealand Wars and the Otago gold rush of the 1860s. Since that time, the South Island's population as a percentage of
2340-412: A specific oceanic location or ocean current is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . South Island The South Island ( Māori : Te Waipounamu [tɛ wɐ.i.pɔ.ʉ.nɐ.mʉ] , lit. 'the waters of Greenstone ', officially South Island or Te Waipounamu or archaically New Munster ) is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being
2457-645: A year or so, with Kāi Tahu maintaining the upper hand. Ngāti Toa never again made a major incursion into Kāi Tahu territory. In 1836, the Ngāti Tama chief Te Pūoho led a 100-person war party, armed with muskets , down the West Coast and over the Haast Pass . They fell on the Ngāi Tahu encampment between Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea , capturing ten people and killing and eating two children. Te Puoho took his captives over
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#17328484719962574-457: Is sparsely populated and still predominantly rural areas or nature reserves. However, there are 15 urban areas in the South Island with a population of 10,000 or more: New Zealand Wars The New Zealand Wars ( Māori : Ngā pakanga o Aotearoa ) took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side, and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on
2691-441: Is the largest Christian denomination in the South Island with 12.7 percent affiliating, closely followed by Catholicism at 12.1 percent and Presbyterianism at 11.7 percent. These figures are somewhat skewed between the regions of the south, due largely to the original settlement of southern cities (Dunedin, for example, was founded by Scottish Presbyterians, whereas Christchurch was founded by English Anglicans). The South Island
2808-710: The States General of the Netherlands , and that name appeared on his first maps of the country. Dutch cartographers changed the name to Nova Zeelandia in Latin, from Nieuw Zeeland , after the Dutch province of Zeeland . It was subsequently Anglicised as New Zealand by British naval captain James Cook of HM Bark Endeavour who visited the islands more than 100 years after Tasman during (1769–70). The first European settlement in
2925-513: The Crown Range to Lake Wakatipu and thence to Southland, where he was killed, and his war party destroyed by the southern Ngāi Tahu leader Tūhawaiki . Kāi Tahu and Ngāti Toa established peace by 1839, with Te Rauparaha releasing the Kāi Tahu captives he held. Formal marriages between the leading families in the two tribes sealed the peace. The first Europeans known to reach the South Island were
3042-783: The Firth of Clyde ) – the John Wickliffe and the Philip Laing . Captain William Cargill , a veteran of the Peninsular War , served as the colony's first leader : Otago citizens subsequently elected him to the office of Superintendent of the Province of Otago . While the North Island was convulsed by the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s and 1870s, the South Island, with its low Māori population,
3159-550: The Kīngitanga (Māori King) movement and also conquest of farming and residential land for British settlers. Later campaigns were aimed at quashing the Pai Mārire religious and political movement, which was strongly opposed to the conquest of Māori land and eager to strengthen Māori identity. Māori religious movements that promoted pan-Māori identity played a major role in the Wars. At
3276-508: The Local Government Act 2002 gives the South Island (and its adjacent islands) seven regional councils for the administration of regional environmental and transport matters and 25 territorial authorities that administer roads, sewerage, building consents, and other local matters. Four of the territorial councils (one city and three districts) also perform the functions of a regional council and are known as unitary authorities under
3393-509: The Musket Wars expanding iwi colonised Te Tau Ihu , a region comprising parts of modern-day Tasman , Nelson and Malborough , including Ngāti Kuia , Rangitāne , Ngāti Tama , and later Ngāti Toarangatira after Te Rauparaha's wars of conquest. British settlement began with expansive and cheap land purchases early on, and settlers quickly outnumbered Māori. As a result the Wairau Affray
3510-483: The Tasman and Marlborough District Councils) also perform the functions of a regional council and thus are known as unitary authorities. This is a list of political parties, past and present, who have their headquarters in the South Island. Compared to the more populated and multi-ethnic North Island, the South Island has a smaller, more homogeneous resident population of 1,260,000 (June 2024). The South Island had
3627-466: The "peril" still facing settlers; the last soldiers finally left in February 1870. About 15 of the 26 major North Island tribal groups sent contingents to join the Waikato campaign, although sometimes they represented a single hapū (clan) within the tribe. Continual presence on battlefields remained difficult for most, however, because of the constant need for tribal labour in their home community, so there
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3744-503: The 1840s happened at a time when Māori were still the predominant power, but by the 1860s settler numbers and resources were much greater. From about 1862 British troops began arriving in much greater number, summoned by Governor George Grey for his Waikato invasion, and in March 1864 total troop numbers peaked at about 14,000 (9,000 Imperial troops, more than 4,000 colonial and a few hundred kūpapa ). The first armed conflict between Māori and
3861-449: The 1860–1861 conflict, in which Māori had taken set positions and challenged the army to an open contest. From 1863 the army, working with greater numbers of troops and heavy artillery, systematically took possession of Māori land by driving off the inhabitants, adopting a " scorched earth " strategy of laying waste to Māori villages and cultivations, with attacks on villages, whether warlike or otherwise. Historian Brian Dalton noted: "The aim
3978-596: The Auckland Militia and Volunteers reached a peak of about 1650 on active service in the early stages of the Waikato campaign; and the last force—the Taranaki Militia—was released from service in 1872. A special 65-man bush-scouring corps, the Forest Rangers, composed of local farmers who were familiar with the bush, had proven guerrilla techniques and were capable of "roughing it", was formed in August 1863;
4095-534: The British again at Te Ranga . In a decisive battle , the British forces, led by Brigadier George Carey , overcame Māori entrenchments, resulting in substantial casualties on both sides. The Tauranga campaign concluded with the surrender of Ngāi Te Rangi warriors, marking a turning point in the New Zealand Wars and shaping subsequent negotiations between Māori and the colonial government. Between 1863 and 1866 there
4212-413: The British that they had won the war, there were widely held views at the time they had suffered an unfavourable and humiliating result. Historians have also been divided on the result. Historian James Belich has claimed that Māori succeeded in thwarting the British bid to impose sovereignty over them, and had therefore been victorious. Belich also states that the Māori victory was a hollow one, leading to
4329-570: The CMS missionaries trying to persuade Heke to end the fighting. Despite the fact that Tāmati Wāka Nene and most of Ngāpuhi sided with the government, the small and ineptly led British force had been beaten at the Battle of Ōhaeawai . Grey, with the financial support and far more troops armed with 32-pounder cannons that had been denied to FitzRoy, attacked and occupied Kawiti 's fortress at Ruapekapeka , forcing Kawiti to retreat. Heke's confidence waned after he
4446-723: The Commander-in-Chief of the British troops in New Zealand, began the Waikato invasion in July with fewer than 4,000 effective troops in Auckland at his disposal, but the continuous arrival of regiments from overseas rapidly swelled the force. British infantry regiments stationed in New Zealand during the New Zealand Wars were: Invasion of the Waikato Titokowaru's War Wanganui Campaign , East Cape War , Titokowaru's War Wanganui Campaign , First Taranaki War , Invasion of
4563-604: The European settlers took place on 17 June 1843 in the Wairau Valley , in the north of the South Island . The clash was sparked when settlers led by a representative of the New Zealand Company—which held a false title deed to a block of land—attempted to clear Māori off the land ready for surveying. The party also attempted to arrest Ngāti Toa chiefs Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata . Fighting broke out and 22 Europeans were killed, as well as four to six Māori. Nine of
4680-612: The Europeans were slain after being captured. In early 1844, the new governor , Robert FitzRoy , investigated the incident and declared the settlers were at fault. The Wairau Affray—described as the Wairau Massacre in early texts—was the only armed conflict of the New Zealand Wars to take place in the South Island. The Flagstaff War took place in the far north of New Zealand, around the Bay of Islands , between March 1845 and January 1846, and
4797-624: The First Taranaki War marks the first time an Australian military unit committed to active service overseas, and is today recognised by the Royal Australian Navy as its earliest battle honour. After a series of battles and actions the war ended in a ceasefire, with neither side explicitly accepting the peace terms of the other. Total losses among the imperial, volunteer and militia troops are estimated to have been 238, while Māori casualties totalled about 200. Though there were claims by
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4914-542: The Forest Rangers split into two separate companies in November, with the second led by Gustavus von Tempsky and both served in Waikato and Taranaki. Other rangers corps during the New Zealand wars included the Taranaki Bush Rangers, Patea Rangers, Opotiki Volunteer Rangers, Wanganui Bush Rangers and Wellington Rangers. From September 1863 the first contingents of what was planned as 5,000 military settlers—recruited on
5031-631: The Kīngitanga movement, and the government interpreted the Kīngitanga response as a challenge to the Crown's authority. Governor Gore Browne succeeded in bringing 3,500 Imperial troops from the Australian colonies to quash this perceived challenge, and within four years a total of 9,000 British troops had arrived in New Zealand, assisted by more than 4,000 colonial and kūpapa (pro-government Māori) fighters as
5148-478: The Matawhero district, in which 51 men, women and children were slaughtered and their homes set alight. The attack prompted another vigorous pursuit by government forces, which included a siege at Ngatapa pā that came to a bloody end: although Te Kooti escaped the siege, Māori forces loyal to the government caught and executed more than 130 of his supporters, as well as prisoners he had earlier seized. Dissatisfied with
5265-479: The Moriori culture, an emphasis on pacifism , proved disadvantageous when Māori warriors arrived in the 1830s aboard a chartered European ship. In the early 18th century, Kāi Tahu , a Māori tribe who originated on the east coast of the North Island , began migrating to the northern part of the South Island. There they and Kāti Māmoe fought Ngāi Tara and Rangitāne in the Wairau Valley . Ngāti Māmoe then ceded
5382-511: The Māori King Movement's reluctance to continue its fight against European invasion and confiscation, Te Kooti offered Māori an Old Testament vision of salvation from oppression and a return to a promised land . Wounded three times in battle, he gained a reputation for being immune to death and uttered prophecies that had the appearance of being fulfilled. In early 1870 Te Kooti gained refuge from Tūhoe tribes, which consequently suffered
5499-407: The Māori dawn raid on an imperial stockade at Boulcott's Farm on 16 May 1846 in which eight British soldiers and an estimated two Māori died, and the Battle of Battle Hill from 6–13 August as British troops, local militia and kūpapa pursued a Ngāti Toa force led by chief Te Rangihaeata through steep and dense bushland. Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha was also taken into custody during the campaign; he
5616-411: The New Zealand colonial government, pressured by immigrant European settlers, tried to speed up land sales to provide farmland. This met resistance from the Kīngitanga (Māori King) movement that emerged in the 1850s and opposed further European encroachment. Governor Thomas Gore Browne 's provocative purchase of a disputed block of land at Waitara in 1859 set the government on a collision course with
5733-622: The New Zealand government developed its own military force, including local militia, rifle volunteer groups , the specialist Forest Rangers and kūpapa (pro-government Māori). As part of broader Australian involvement in the wars, the Colony of Victoria deployed its naval forces, and at least 2,500 volunteers formed contingents that crossed the Tasman Sea and integrated with the New Zealand militia. The government also responded with legislation to imprison Māori opponents and confiscate expansive areas of
5850-635: The New Zealand government. When New Zealand was separated from the colony of New South Wales in 1841 and established as a Crown colony in its own right, the Royal Charter effecting this provided that "the principal Islands, heretofore known as, or commonly called, the 'Northern Island', the Middle Island', and 'Stewart's Island', shall henceforward be designated and known respectively as ' New Ulster ', ' New Munster ', and ' New Leinster '". These divisions were of geographical significance only, not used as
5967-536: The North Island for sale to settlers, with the funds used to cover war expenses; punitive measures that on the east and west coasts provoked an intensification of Māori resistance and aggression. The New Zealand Wars were previously referred to as the Land Wars or the Māori Wars , and an earlier Māori-language name for the conflict was Te riri Pākehā ("the white man's anger"). Historian James Belich popularised
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#17328484719966084-690: The North Island in 1911. The drift north of people and businesses continued throughout the twentieth century. The island has been known internationally as the South Island for many years. The Te Reo Māori name for it Te Waipounamu now also has official recognition but it remains seldom used by most residents. in the Māori language. Said to mean "the Water(s) of Greenstone ", Te Waipounamu possibly evolved from Te Wāhi Pounamu ("the Place of Greenstone"). When Captain James Cook visited in 1769, he recorded
6201-495: The South Island Te Waka o Aoraki , referring to another Māori legend called the story of Aoraki, as after the world was created, Aoraki and his three brothers came down in a waka to visit their mother, Papatūānuku the earth mother, only to crash after failing to perform a karakia on their way back home to their father, Ranginui (also known as Raki) the sky father, in turn causing the waka to transform into an island and
6318-738: The South Island was founded at Bluff in 1823 by James Spencer, a veteran of the Battle of Waterloo . In January 1827, the French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville arrived in Tasman Bay on the corvette Astrolabe . A number of landmarks around Tasman Bay were named by d'Urville and his crew, including d'Urville Island , French Pass and Torrent Bay . Following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in February 1840, Lieutenant-Governor Captain William Hobson declared British sovereignty over New Zealand in May 1840 and
6435-522: The South Island, along with the rest of New Zealand, briefly became a part of the Colony of New South Wales . This declaration was in response to France's attempts to colonise the South Island at Akaroa and the New Zealand Company attempts to establish a separate colony in Wellington , and so Hobson declared British sovereignty over all of New Zealand on 21 May 1840 (the North Island by treaty and
6552-531: The South Island. Four Māori died and three were wounded in the incident, while among the Europeans the toll was 22 dead and five wounded. Twelve of the Europeans were shot dead or clubbed to death after surrendering to Māori who were pursuing them. The Otago Settlement, sponsored by the Free Church of Scotland , took concrete form in Otago in March 1848 with the arrival of the first two immigrant ships from Greenock (on
6669-410: The South by discovery). Seven days after the declaration, the Treaty was signed at Akaroa on 28 May. On 17 June 1843, Māori and British settlers clashed at Wairau in what became known as the Wairau Affray . Also known as the Wairau Massacre in most older texts, it was the first serious clash of arms between the two parties after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the only one to take place in
6786-494: The Waikato , Tauranga Campaign Wanganui Campaign , First Taranaki War , Invasion of the Waikato , Tauranga Campaign The Colonial Defence Force, a cavalry unit of about 100 men, was formed by Colonel Marmaduke Nixon in May 1863 and served in Waikato and militia forces were also used throughout the New Zealand wars. The Militia Ordinance 1845 provided for the compulsory training or service within 40 km of their town by all able-bodied European men aged between 18 and 60;
6903-469: The Waikato River. They fought a combined Māori contingent of about 4,000. Cameron and his Kīngitanga foe engaged in several major battles including the Battle of Rangiriri and a three-day siege at Orakau, capturing the Kīngitanga capital of Ngāruawāhia in December 1863, before completing their Waikato conquest in April 1864. The Waikato campaign cost the lives of 700 British and colonial soldiers and about 1,000 Māori. The Kīngitanga Māori retreated into
7020-405: The action of Crown forces on the East Coast from 1865 to 1869—the East Coast Wars and the start of Te Kooti's War—resulted in the deaths of proportionately more Māori than in any other district during the New Zealand wars. It condemned the "illegal imprisonment" on the Chatham Islands of a quarter of the East Coast region's adult male population and said the loss in war of an estimated 43 percent of
7137-514: The arrival of three warships and about 400 soldiers from Australia marked the beginning of the escalation of imperial troop numbers. The buildup increased rapidly under Grey's term as governor: when the second round of hostilities broke out in Taranaki in May 1863 he applied to the Secretary of State in London for the immediate dispatch of three more regiments and also wrote to the Australian governors asking for whatever British troops that could be made available. Lieutenant-General Duncan Cameron ,
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#17328484719967254-490: The capital of New Zealand from Auckland to Wellington that year. Several South Island nationalist groups emerged at the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st. The South Island Party fielded candidates in the 1999 general election but cancelled its registration in 2002. Several internet-based groups advocate their support for greater self-determination . On 13 October 2010, South Island Mayors led by Bob Parker of Christchurch displayed united support for
7371-413: The circumstances and tried to occupy the land, anticipating it would lead to armed conflict, and a demonstration of the substantive sovereignty the British believed they had gained in the Treaty of Waitangi. Hostilities began on 17 March 1860. The war was fought by more than 3,500 imperial troops brought in from Australia, as well as volunteer soldiers and militia, against Māori forces that fluctuated between
7488-692: The country's total population has steadily decreased, with the population of the South island now being less than that of the North Island's largest city, Auckland. This growing disparity has stabilised in recent years, with both the 2013 and 2018 censuses showing the South Island to have a very similar percentage of the national population (around 23%–24%). At the 2023 census, 82.8% of South Islanders identified as European ( Pākehā ), 11.3% as Māori , 3.4% as Pacific peoples , 10.5% as Asian , 1.6% as Middle Eastern/Latin American/African, 1.4% as other ethnicities. Percentages add to more than 100% as people can identify with more than one ethnicity. Europeans form
7605-435: The course of the Taranaki and Waikato campaigns, the lives of about 1,800 Māori and 800 Europeans were lost, and total Māori losses over the course of all the wars may have exceeded 2,100. Violence over land ownership broke out first in the Wairau Valley in the South Island in June 1843, but rising tensions in Taranaki eventually led to the involvement of British military forces at Waitara in March 1860. The war between
7722-405: The crew of Dutch explorer Abel Tasman who arrived in his ships Heemskerck and Zeehaen . In December 1642, Tasman anchored at the northern end of the island in Golden Bay / Mohua which he named Moordenaar's Bay (Murderers Bay) before sailing northward to Tonga following a clash with Māori. Tasman sketched sections of the two main islands' west coasts. Tasman called them Staten Landt , after
7839-416: The early period of contact, Māori had generally sought trade with Europeans. The British and the French had established mission stations , and missionaries had received land from iwi for houses, schools, churches, and farms. Traders, Sydney businessmen and the New Zealand Company had bought large tracts of land before 1840. The Treaty of Waitangi included the right of Crown pre-emption on land sales, and
7956-479: The east coast regions north of the Waiau Toa / Clarence River to Kāi Tahu. Kāi Tahu continued to push south, conquering Kaikōura . By the 1730s, Kāi Tahu had settled in Canterbury , including Banks Peninsula . From there they spread further south and into the West Coast . In 1827–28, Ngāti Toa under the leadership of Te Rauparaha successfully attacked Kāi Tahu at Kaikōura. Ngāti Toa then visited Kaiapoi Pā , ostensibly to trade. When they attacked their hosts,
8073-413: The embrace of radical Pai Marire expression. The religion arrived on the east coast from Taranaki in early 1865. The subsequent ritual killing of missionary Carl Volkner by Pai Mārire (or Hauhau) followers at Ōpōtiki on 2 March 1865 sparked settler fears of an outbreak of violence and later that year the New Zealand government launched a lengthy expedition to hunt for Volkner's killers and neutralise
8190-429: The end of the year, Browne succeeded in retaining one of them for use in New Plymouth, where settlers feared the spread of intertribal violence. At the outbreak of Taranaki hostilities in 1860, reinforcements were brought from Auckland to boost the New Plymouth garrison, raising the total force of regulars to 450 and for many months the total number of Māori under arms exceeded the number of troops in Taranaki. In mid-April
8307-400: The far south of the island. Around the same time, a group of Māori migrated to Rēkohu (the Chatham Islands ), where, in adapting to the local climate and the availability of resources, they eventually evolved into a separate people known as the Moriori with its own distinct language – closely related to the parent culture and language in mainland New Zealand . One notable feature of
8424-546: The first Chinese migrants had been invited by the Otago Provincial government, they quickly became the target of hostility from white settlers and laws were enacted specifically to discourage them from coming to New Zealand. The South Island has no separately represented country subdivision , but is guaranteed 16 of the electorates in the New Zealand House of Representatives . A two-tier structure constituted under
8541-486: The four brothers into the mountain ranges on top of it. Charcoal drawings can be found on limestone rock shelters in the centre of the South Island, with over 550 sites stretching from Kaikōura to North Otago . The drawings are estimated to be between 500 and 800 years old and portray animals, people and fantastic creatures, possibly stylised reptiles. Some of the birds pictured are long extinct, including moa and Haast's eagles . They were drawn by early Māori , but by
8658-468: The goldfields of Australia and Otago with promises of free grants of land confiscated from "rebel" Māori—also began service in the Waikato. By the end of October the number of military settlers, known as the Waikato Militia, had reached more than 2,600, the majority having come from Australia. By March 1864 troop numbers peaked at 9,000 Imperial troops, 4,000 Colonial troops (3,600 of them Australians),
8775-404: The government and Kīngitanga Māori spread to other areas of the North Island , with the biggest single campaign being the invasion of the Waikato in 1863–1864, before hostilities concluded with the pursuits of Riwha Tītokowaru in Taranaki (1868–1869) and Rangatira (chief) Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki on the east coast (1868–1872). Although Māori were initially fought by British Army forces,
8892-463: The government in late 1863; and the rise of the so-called Hauhau movement, an extremist part of the Pai Marire syncretic religion, which was strongly opposed to the alienation of Māori land and eager to strengthen Māori identity. The Hauhau movement became a unifying factor for Taranaki Māori in the absence of individual Māori commanders. The style of warfare after 1863 differed markedly from that of
9009-829: The government only (the right of pre-emption ) and surrendering sovereignty to the British Crown. In the Māori language version of the Treaty, however, the word "sovereignty" was translated as kawanatanga which was a new word meaning "governance". This led to considerable disagreement over the meaning of the Treaty. Some Māori wanted to sign to consolidate peace and in hopes of ending the long intertribal Musket Wars (1807–1845) others wanted to keep their tino rangatiratanga , such as Tūhoe in Te Urewera . All pre-treaty colonial land-sale deals had taken place directly between two parties. In
9126-507: The government sought a decisive victory over the "rebel" Māori. The use of a punitive land confiscation policy from 1865, depriving "rebel" Māori of the means of living, fuelled further Māori anger and resentment, fanning the flames of conflict in Taranaki (1863–1866) and on the east coast (1865–1866). The various conflicts of the New Zealand wars span a considerable period, and the causes and outcomes differ widely. The earliest conflicts in
9243-534: The grievances of Heke and his ally Te Ruki Kawiti , as to changes that had followed the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. There were many causes of the Flagstaff War and Heke had a number of grievances in relation to the Treaty of Waitangi . While land acquisition by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) had been controversial, the rebellion led by Heke was directed against the colonial forces with
9360-644: The invasion of the Waikato . Browne began making arrangements for a Waikato campaign to destroy the Kīngitanga stronghold at the close of the First Taranaki War. Preparations were suspended in December 1861 when he was replaced by Sir George Grey , but Grey revived plans for an invasion in June 1863. He persuaded the Colonial Office in London to send more than 10,000 Imperial troops to New Zealand and General Sir Duncan Cameron
9477-537: The island from north to south. They include New Zealand's highest peak, Aoraki / Mount Cook , at 3,724 metres (12,218 feet). The high Kaikōura Ranges lie to the northeast. The east side of the island is home to the Canterbury Plains , while the West Coast is renowned for its rough coastlines, such as Fiordland , a very high proportion of native bush and national parks , and the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers . With
9594-570: The island's name phonetically as "Toai poonamoo". In the 19th century, some maps identified the South Island as Middle Island or New Munster (named after Munster province in Southern Ireland) with the name South Island or New Leinster was used for today's Stewart Island / Rakiura . In 1907, the Minister for Lands gave instructions to the Land and Survey Department that the name Middle Island
9711-570: The land of loyal or rebel Māori owners. The outcome of the armed conflict in Taranaki between 1860 and 1869 was a series of enforced confiscations of Taranaki tribal land from Māori blanketed as being in rebellion against the Government. East coast hostilities erupted in April 1865 and, as in the Second Taranaki War, sprang from Māori resentment of punitive government land confiscations coupled with
9828-470: The leadership of Rawiri Puhirake , successfully repelled a British assault, inflicting significant casualties and earning a reputation as a humiliating defeat for the British. Following the setback, efforts to negotiate peace intensified, with Governor Grey seeking to limit land confiscations and reduce Māori resistance, leading to a temporary cessation of hostilities. However, in June, Māori forces, reinforced and commanded by Hoera te Mataatai, chose to engage
9945-727: The majority in all districts of the South Island, ranging from 75.9% in Christchurch City to 92.1% in the Waimakariri district . The proportion of South Islanders born overseas at the 2018 census was 21.4%. The most common foreign countries of birth are England (22.0% of overseas-born residents), Australia (8.8%), the Philippines (7.9%), Mainland China (6.5%) and India (5.4%). Around 48.6 percent of South Islanders affiliate with Christianity and 3.1 percent affiliate with non-Christian religions, while 45.8 percent are irreligious. Anglicanism
10062-512: The male population, many through acts of "lawless brutality", was a stain on New Zealand's history and character. The New Zealand campaigns involved Māori warriors from a range of iwi , most of which were allied with the Kīngitanga movement, fighting a mix of Imperial troops, local militia groups, the specialist Forest Rangers and kūpapa, or "loyalist" Māori. In 1855 just 1,250 Imperial troops, from two under-strength British regiments, were in New Zealand. Although both were scheduled to depart at
10179-518: The mouth of the Patea River ), and New Munster Province (and the southern portion of the North Island , up to the mouth of the Patea River , the South Island and Stewart Island). Each province had a Governor and Legislative and Executive Council, in addition to the Governor-in-Chief and Legislative and Executive Council for the whole colony. The 1846 Constitution Act was later suspended, and only
10296-627: The movement's influence. Rising tensions between Pai Mārire followers and conservative Māori led to a number of wars between and within Māori iwi , with kūpapa armed by the government in a bid to exterminate the movement. Major conflicts within the campaign included the cavalry and artillery attack on Te Tarata pā near Ōpōtiki in October 1865 in which about 35 Māori were killed, and the seven-day siege of Waerenga-a-Hika in November 1865. The government confiscated northern parts of Urewera land in January 1866 in
10413-448: The name "New Zealand Wars" in the 1980s, although according to Vincent O'Malley , the term was first used by historian James Cowan in the 1920s. The 1840 English language version of the Treaty of Waitangi guaranteed that individual Māori iwi (tribes) should have undisturbed possession of their lands, forests, fisheries and other taonga ( Māori for 'treasures') in return for becoming British subjects, selling land to
10530-477: The north ended and there was no punitive confiscation of Ngāpuhi land. The Hutt Valley campaign of 1846 came as a sequel to the Wairau Affray . The causes were similar—dubious land purchases by the New Zealand Company and the desire of the settlers to move on to land before disputes over titles were resolved—and the two conflicts shared many of the same protagonists. The campaign's most notable clashes were
10647-457: The occupation of Māori land. Coinciding with a violent raid on a European settlement on the East Coast by Te Kooti , the attacks shattered what European colonists regarded as a new era of peace and prosperity, creating fears of a "general uprising of hostile Māoris". Tītokowaru, who had fought in the Second Taranaki War, was the most skilful West Coast Māori warrior. He also assumed the roles of
10764-429: The other. Though the wars were initially localised conflicts triggered by tensions over disputed land purchases (by European settlers from Māori), they escalated dramatically from 1860 as the government became convinced it was facing united Māori resistance to further land sales and a refusal to acknowledge Crown sovereignty. The colonial government summoned thousands of British troops to mount major campaigns to overpower
10881-638: The peak of hostilities in the 1860s, 18,000 British Army troops, supported by artillery, cavalry and local militia, battled about 4,000 Māori warriors in what became a gross imbalance of manpower and weaponry. Although outnumbered, the Māori were able to withstand their enemy with techniques that included anti-artillery bunkers and the use of carefully placed pā (fortified villages) that allowed them to block their enemy's advance and often inflict heavy losses, yet quickly abandon their positions without significant loss. Guerrilla-style tactics were used by both sides in later campaigns, often fought in dense bush. Over
10998-596: The provincial government provisions were implemented. Early in 1848 Edward John Eyre was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Munster. The Provincial Council of New Munster had only one legislative session, in 1849, before it succumbed to the virulent attacks of settlers from Wellington . Governor Sir George Grey , sensible to the pressures, inspired an ordinance of the General Legislative Council under which new Legislative Councils would be established in each province with two-thirds of their members elected on
11115-401: The resignation and desertion of many militia volunteers, ultimately leading to the withdrawal of most government military forces from South Taranaki and giving Tītokowaru control of almost all territory between New Plymouth and Wanganui . Although Tītokowaru provided the strategy and leadership that had been missing among tribes that had fought in the Second Taranaki War and his forces never lost
11232-471: The rugged interior of the North Island and in 1865 the New Zealand Government confiscated about 12,000 km of Māori land (4% of New Zealand's land area) for white settlement—an action that quickly provoked the Second Taranaki War. The six-month long Tauranga campaign of 1864 was initially launched by Cameron to disrupt Māori supply lines and secure the Bay of Plenty for European settlement. It
11349-630: The smaller but more populous North Island and sparsely populated Stewart Island . It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait , to the west by the Tasman Sea , to the south by the Foveaux Strait and Southern Ocean , and to the east by the Pacific Ocean. The South Island covers 150,437 square kilometres (58,084 sq mi), making it the world's 12th-largest island , constituting 56% of New Zealand's land area. At low altitudes, it has an oceanic climate . The major centres are Christchurch , with
11466-546: The summer of 1831–32 Te Rauparaha attacked the Kaiapoi pā (fortified village). Kaiapoi was engaged in a three-month siege by Te Rauparaha, during which his men successfully sapped the pā. They then attacked Kāi Tahu on Banks Peninsula and took the pā at Onawe . In 1832–33 Kāi Tahu retaliated under the leadership of Tūhawaiki and others, attacking Ngāti Toa at Lake Grassmere . Kāi Tahu prevailed, and killed many Ngāti Toa, although Te Rauparaha again escaped. Fighting continued for
11583-649: The time Europeans arrived, local Māori did not know the origins of the drawings. Early inhabitants of the South Island were the Waitaha . They were largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāti Māmoe in the 16th century. Kāti Māmoe were in turn largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāi Tahu who migrated south in the 17th century. While today there is no distinct Kāti Māmoe organisation, many Kāi Tahu have Kāti Māmoe links in their whakapapa and especially in
11700-414: The town before mounting a frontal attack in July 1847. A peace settlement was reached in early 1848. The catalyst for the First Taranaki War was the disputed sale to the Crown of a 240 hectare block of land at Waitara, despite a veto by the paramount chief of Te Āti Awa tribe, Wiremu Kīngi , and a "solemn contract" by local Māori not to sell. Governor Browne accepted the purchase with full knowledge of
11817-430: The two main islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island , with the definite article . It is also normal to use the preposition in rather than on , for example "Christchurch is in the South Island", "my mother lives in the South Island". Maps, headings, tables, and adjectival expressions use South Island without "the". As it is 32% larger than the North Island but contains less than
11934-437: The well after failing to find any oil. Anadarko Petroleum made a test drilling in the area in early 2014, without success. Schlumberger subsequently made a drilling attempt in the same areas later in the year. 47°06′S 169°42′E / 47.1°S 169.7°E / -47.1; 169.7 This Southland Region geography article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about
12051-718: The well-prepared Kāi Tahu killed all the leading Ngāti Toa chiefs except Te Rauparaha. Te Rauparaha returned to his Kapiti Island stronghold. In November 1830, Te Rauparaha persuaded Captain John Stewart of the brig Elizabeth to carry him and his warriors in secret to Akaroa , whereby in subterfuge they captured the leading Kāi Tahu chief, Tama-i-hara-nui , and his wife and daughter. After destroying Tama-i-hara-nui's village, they took their captives to Kapiti and killed them. John Stewart, though arrested and sent to trial in Sydney as an accomplice to murder, nevertheless escaped conviction. In
12168-432: The west coast of the North Island between Taranaki and Wanganui, and Cameron, who regarded such a campaign as unnecessary, impractical and contrary to Imperial policy. Grey blocked Cameron's attempts to dispatch the first regiments from New Zealand in May 1865 and the first regiment finally embarked in January 1866. By May 1867 only the 2/18th Regiment remained in the country, their departure delayed by political pressure over
12285-401: Was a constant turnover of small tribal groups. At Meremere, Paterangi, Hangatiki and Maungatatauri, between August 1863 and June 1864 Māori maintained forces of between 1,000 and 2,000 men, but troops were forced to disperse after each campaign because of labour and domestic needs at home. Belich has estimated that the total Māori mobilisation was at least 4,000 warriors, representing one-third of
12402-421: Was a resumption of hostilities between Māori and the New Zealand Government in Taranaki, which is sometimes referred to as the Second Taranaki War. The conflict, which overlapped the wars in Waikato and Tauranga , was fuelled by a combination of factors: lingering Māori resentment over the sale of land at Waitara in 1860 and government delays in resolving the issue; a large-scale land confiscation policy launched by
12519-493: Was appointed to lead the campaign. Cameron used soldiers to build the 18 km-long Great South Road to the border of Kīngitanga territory and on 9 July 1863 Grey ordered all Māori living between Auckland and the Waikato take an oath of allegiance to Queen Victoria or be expelled south of the Waikato River; when his ultimatum was rejected the vanguard of the army crossed the frontier into Kīngitanga territory and established
12636-406: Was defeated and the East Coast threat minimised, the alienation of Māori land, as well as the political subjugation of Māori, continued at an even more rapid pace. Te Kooti's War was fought in the East Coast region and across the heavily forested central North Island and Bay of Plenty between government military forces and followers of spiritual leader Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki. The conflict
12753-474: Was detained without charge in Auckland for two years. The bloodshed heightened settlers' fears in nearby Wanganui, which was given a strong military force to guard against attack. In April 1847 an accidental shooting of a minor Wanganui Māori chief led to a bloody revenge attack on a settler family; when the perpetrators were captured and hanged, a major raid was launched on the town as a reprisal, with homes plundered and burned and livestock stolen. Māori besieged
12870-508: Was generally peaceful. In 1861, gold was discovered at Gabriel's Gully in Central Otago , sparking a gold rush . Dunedin became the wealthiest city in the country, and many in the South Island resented financing the North Island's wars. In the 1860s, several thousand Chinese men, mostly from the Guangdong province, migrated to New Zealand to work on the South Island goldfields. Although
12987-431: Was marked by strategic maneuvering and intense battles between British Imperial forces and local Māori tribes, primarily Ngāi Te Rangi . The campaign faced internal political divisions early on with Premier Frederick Whitaker supporting an aggressive approach, while Governor Grey advocated a defensive stance to prevent wider rebellion. The conflict culminated in the Battle of Gate Pā in April, where Māori defenders, under
13104-500: Was no longer to conquer territory, but to inflict the utmost 'punishment' on the enemy; inevitably there was a great deal of brutality, much burning of undefended villages and indiscriminate looting, in which loyal Maoris often suffered." As the troops advanced, the Government built an expanding line of redoubts, behind which settlers built homes and developed farms. The effect was a creeping confiscation of almost 4,000 km (1,500 sq mi) of land, with little distinction between
13221-475: Was not to be used in the future. "South Island will be adhered to in all cases". Although the island had been known as the South Island for many years, in 2009 the New Zealand Geographic Board found that along with the North Island, the South Island had no official name. After a public consultation, the board officially named the island South Island or Te Waipounamu in October 2013. In prose,
13338-498: Was sparked by Te Kooti's return to New Zealand after two years of internment on the Chatham Islands , from where he had escaped with almost 200 Māori prisoners of war and their families. Te Kooti, who had been held without trial on the island for two years, asked that he and his followers be left in peace, but within two weeks they were being pursued by a force of militia, government troops and Māori volunteers. The pursuit turned into
13455-484: Was the first major conflict between the British and Māori people. In 1845 George Grey arrived in New Zealand to take up his appointment as governor. At this time Hōne Heke challenged the authority of the British, beginning by cutting down the flagstaff on Flagstaff Hill at Kororāreka . The flagstaff had previously flown the colours of United Tribes of New Zealand but now carried the Union Jack and therefore symbolised
13572-507: Was the only conflict of the New Zealand Wars to occur in the South Island. The island became rich and prosperous and Dunedin boomed during the 1860s Otago gold rush , which was shaped by extensive Chinese immigration . After the gold rush the " drift to the north " meant the North Island displaced the South as the most populous. The South Island is shaped by the Southern Alps , which run along
13689-542: Was wounded in battle with Tāmati Wāka Nene and his warriors, and by the realisation that the British had far more resources than he could muster, including some Pākehā Māori , who supported the colonial forces. After the Battle of Ruapekapeka, Heke and Kawiti were ready for peace. They approached Tāmati Wāka Nene to act as the intermediary to negotiate with Governor Grey, who accepted the advice of Nene that Heke and Kawiti should not be punished for their rebellion. The fighting in
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