TUWHARE (? 1781-1820), a principal chief of the Roroa hapu of Ngati-Whatua of Kaipara, was a son of Te Waiata and a younger brother of Taoho. He was thus closely related to the Ngapuhi of Hokianga, with whom he made several campaigns. Tuwhare showed great ability as a young man, and as early as 1807 assisted Murupaenga to defeat Ngapuhi at Moremonui. He was the first northern chief to introduce muskets at Kawhia, when he accompanied Murupaenga with a taua of 200 against Taranaki.

During their stay at Kawhia he acceded to the invitation of his kinsman, Te Rauparaha, to assist him against Ngati-Rahiri. Proceeding southward, the Ngati-Whatua taua besieged Ngati-Awa in Te Taniwha without success and having made peace, went on to Tataraimaka, which they reduced with the help of Ngati-Awa and Ngati-Tama. Tuwhare then returned to the north to prepare for a great southern expedition in alliance with Ngapuhi and various branches of Ngati-Awa. This was his third campaign in Taranaki. The northern portion of what is sometimes called the Amio-whenua left Hokianga in Nov 1819 under Patuone, Nene and other Ngapuhi leaders. Tuwhare joined up on the way, and Te Rauparaha at Kawhia; and the ope passed on with little opposition until they reached the Whanganui river. At Purua their passage was contested by the Ngati-Hau (under Te Anaua) and the position had to be carried by assault. The ope proceeded as far as Whanganui-a-Tara (Port Nicholson), rested there awhile; made an incursion into the Wairarapa and captured some of the positions on Cook Strait. (Tuwhare himself seized the pa of Waimapihi.) Seeing the wreck of a pakeha ship at Cook Strait, Tuwhare urged Te Rauparaha to settle there for the sake of commerce with the pakeha. On the return there was more fighting at Whanganui, and thereafter Tuwhare decided to force his way up the river. Closely followed by hostile tribes, he reached Makokoti, at the confluence of the Retaruke. Finding the enemy too strong, he decided to retreat, and lost some of his canoes by rocks thrown from the cliffs above. At Kaiwhakauka pa he was confronted by strong enemy forces under Pehi Turoa (q.v.), and was compelled to fight. After a fierce assault he forced his way into a cliff pa, but the defenders put up a strong resistance inside. Tuwhare, emerging from behind a whare, fired at the chief Hamarama. The shot missed and in an instant Hamarama had split the invader's skull with his mere. The invaders carried their leader to his canoe and retreated down the river. Tuwhare parleyed with Whanganui for the life of his nephew Toki-whati, and peace was made by a gift to the Whanganui of a coat of mail. The taua then retraced its steps towards the north. Tuwhare died at Ketemarae (Taranaki) and was buried amongst friendly Ngati-Awa at Waitara.

S. P. Smith, Wars of Taranaki

Reference: Volume 2, page 208

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