Story: New Zealand Wars

Rewi's last stand

Rewi's last stand

Pioneer New Zealand filmmaker Rudall Hayward was inspired by James Cowan’s writings on the New Zealand Wars. In 1925, three years after the first volume of Cowan’s two-volume history appeared, Hayward made Rewi's last stand, a feature film about the conflict in Waikato which climaxed with a re-enactment of the battle of Ōrākau. In 1940, as a centennial gesture, he remade the film using sound and adding a romantic element to the plot. Cowan’s books and Hayward’s films were among the few major cultural expressions of interest in the New Zealand Wars before the 1980s.

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New Zealand Film Archive Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Taonga Whitiāhua, Hayward Collection
Reference: PO03843

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How to cite this page:

Danny Keenan, 'New Zealand Wars - Long-term impact', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/ephemera/37838/rewis-last-stand (accessed 29 March 2024)

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