Story: New Zealand Wars

John Gilfillan painting

John Gilfillan painting

John Gilfillan painted ‘A native council of war’ in 1853. Six years earlier his wife, Mary, and three of their children had been killed by Māori on their farm in the Matarawa valley, near Whanganui. Following the execution of four of the perpetrators in April 1847, upriver Whanganui Māori led by Tōpine Te Mamaku moved south and blockaded the town.

Using this item

Hocken Library, University of Otago
Oil painting by John Gilfillan

Permission of the Hocken Library Uare Taoka o Hakena, University of Otago, must be obtained before any re-use of this image. Further information may be obtained from the Library through its website.

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How to cite this page:

Danny Keenan, 'New Zealand Wars - Wellington and Whanganui Wars, 1846–1848', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/36906/john-gilfillan-painting (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Danny Keenan, published 20 Jun 2012, reviewed & revised 29 Nov 2022