Hohepa Te Umuroa

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Shelley Joyce on 28th April 2019

Te Umuroa was 25 when he died of tuberculosis on Maria Island, off the coast of Tasmania, in 1847. He and six other warriors had travelled south to Porirua in 1846 to help Ngati Toa leader Rangihaeata resist European settlement. They were captured and accused of rebelling against the Queen's authority. They were tried in an English-language court martial, and five were sent to an Australian penal colony.

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John L Mason on 14th March 2018

HOHEPA TE UMUROA Maori Convict incarcerated to Hobart Tasmania for life with 5 others by Gov. Grey. Arrived on the Castor in 1846 and died 19th July 1847 of consumption.(tuberculosis) Hohepa was the good friend of my grandfather Quaker Thomas Mason of "The Gums" in Lower Hutt area New Zealand). As a mark of respect to my grand mother who drove Hohepa out of the house when he arrived drunk for a meal Hohepa carried her and her groceries across the Hutt River. This broke the tradition of tapu and showed marked respect. When the Maori wars were about to begin my Grandfather(great× 5 generations) moved to Hobart Tasmania where he began a Quaker Children's School. As part of his activities he would meet the convict ships and recognized Hohepa and his 4 friends descending the gang plank with Bible's under their arms. They had been falsely accused and in incarcerated by Governor Grey for life to Port Arthur. Thomas approached the authorities and eventually obtained their release to Maria Island and subsequent repatriation to New Zealand. Unfortunately Hohepa died of consumption (TB) before his return. In 1988 6 Maori elders exhumed his bones and brought Hohepa back to Jerusalem on the Wanganui River in NZ. Thomas arranged and paid for Hohepa's original headstone still found on Maria Island today! Photos of his NZ grave are available from me. John L Mason (Taupo New Zealand)

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D Wong on 28th September 2013

In the wake of Te Umuroa’s death the acting Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land, C.J. La Trobe, and the Colonial Office questioned the legality of the original court martial. The transportation of the M?ori captives had been questioned by the Hobart press when the prisoners first arrived, and opposition to the punishment increased with Te Umuroa’s death. The four remaining prisoners were released and returned to Auckland in March 1848. Te Umuroa had a longer wait for his return. Six elders from his iwi accompanied his remains home from Tasmania in 1988. He was reburied on 8 August that year at Roma cemetery in Jerusalem, on the Whanganui River.

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Jay Stagpoole on 25th September 2013

He recieved life for Rebellion and died on Maria Island

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Jay Stagpoole on 25th September 2013

Transported from New Zealand with four other Maori on the Castor arrived 16 Nov 1846