Octavius Hadfield

Octavius Hadfield was the Archdeacon of Kapiti, and later Primate of New Zealand. A missionary for thirty years, he was recognised as an authority on Maori customs and language. His views on Maori rights, expressed in several books strongly criticised the actions of the New Zealand Government.

Work for the Church

Part of a series on Protestant missions to Pacific Islands

Missionary ship Duff

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After arriving in New Zealand in January of 1839, Hadfield was stationed at Paihia in the Bay of Islands. Following a request by Tamihana Te Rauparaha and Matene Te Whiwhi for a missionary in their area, Hadfield left to set up an Anglican Mission on the Kapiti Coast in 1839. Te Āti Awa built the first church within the Waikanae pā which inspired other churches including Rangiātea, built by Ngati Awa in Otaki.

Relations between Maori and Pakeha

Following the Wairau Affray in 1843, where a confrontation between Te Rauparaha and group of settlers left twenty-two Europeans dead, many settlers believed an attack on then thinly populated Wellington was possible and Hadfield was seen as a peacemaker preventing the spread of hostilities. Hadfield became far less popular when in 1860, Hadfield upheld Wiremu Kingi's claim to the Waitara block. The surveying of this land prior to military occupation precipitated the First Taranaki War, and Hadfield became a leading critic of the Government in these actions.

External References

|Rangitea Church