The 29 April 1864 Battle of Pukehinahina-Gate PÄ resulted in the astonishing defeat of a force of 1700 Imperial British soldiers, sailors and a few militia, who were supported by the largest artillery battery assembled at any time during the New Zealand Wars. Their defeat was at the hands of a group of MÄori irregulars just over 200 strong. Victory at Gate PÄ? examines, in exquisite detail, the historical background to the battle, the battle itself and the subsequent Battle of Te Ranga, and the aftermath that saw 50,000 acres of prime land confiscated and a people driven into poverty and despair. The battle of Gate PÄ was a defining moment in New Zealand history that had repercussions for MÄori landownership and the notion of sovereignty. Although MÄori technically won the battle in a humiliating defeat of the British troops, long-term they were to see thousands of acres of their land confiscated.
