Te Rauparaha's Taupō pā as painted by George Angas in 1844. The pā was behind the beach between where the present-day Plimmerton fire station and the pavilion are located.
As Governor George Grey tightened the screws on Ngāti Toa, Te Rauparaha was captured here soon after dawn on 23 July 1846 by a naval party from HMS Calliope. Held prisoner for two years, on the Calliope and then in Auckland, he died not long after being returned to his people at Ōtaki.
A pou (carved post) commemorating Te Rauparaha’s capture stands outside 5 Motuhara Road, Plimmerton.
Community contributions