Pauatahanui Burial Ground Walking tour

The cemetery is part of the original Matai-taua pa site. The land for the cemetery was set aside in 1856, and is the burial site for many members of Pauatahanui families as well as some from much further away. Te Rangihaeata established a fighting pa at Matai-taua during the 1840s, moving from Motukaraka Point where his group was within the range of naval bombardment. While cannon shots were fired there was no actual fighting at Matai-taua. Te Rangihaeata withdrew his group northwards to Battle Hill and subsequently the Matai-taua area was garrisoned for a short time by British soldiers of the 65th Regiment, Northumberland Fusiliers. A small chapel once stood in the burial ground and it now features extensive plantings of heritage roses - a few of these date from original plantings, and the remainder have been rescued from historic sites and local roadsides and donated by volunteers.