Rongo Hongi, a remarkable wahine toa of the 1800

Have you heard of Rongo Hongi? She was a remarkable woman.

Daughter of famous Ngāpuhi chief Hongi Hika and his senior wife Turikatuku, Rongo was born around 1812.
 
For a number of years Rongo lived with James and Charlotte Kemp, who were with the Church Missionary Society in Kerikeri. When her father got sick she nursed him until his death. Rongo then attended the Mission School for Māori Girls at Kerikeri. Here she became literate in both languages. With her whakapapa and intelligence, she was equal to some men and superior to many: He wahine toa ia.
 
In March 1837, Rongo (then going by the Christian name Hariata Rongo) married Ngāpuhi warrior leader Hōne Heke in the Kerikeri Chapel. Hōne Heke soon after became famous for his stand against the British authorities.
 
With a good education from the missionaries, Rongo served as Hōne Heke's secretary and scribe and was active throughout the treaty war of 1845, supporting her husband in the field and acting as a conduit between him and his enemy, the pro-British warrior Tāmati Wāka Nene. Some scholars believe there is evidence that some of the correspondence was written by Rongo.

Image: Grant Sheehan

After Hōne Heke died from tuberculosis in 1850, she married Arama Karaka Pī, a chief from Waimā in the Hokianga.
 
Rongo was comfortable in both Māori and Pākehā worlds, adopting Pākehā practices as it suited her while remaining firmly in her Te Ao Māori world, where women held high status positions. She died in 1894, aged around 79.
 
Kemp House, where Rongo once lived, is now our country's oldest standing building and can be visited for a small fee. Managed by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, Kemp House is part of Kororipo Heritage Park, which is recognised as a Tohu Whenua - our country's best heritage experiences.

Image: Claudia Babirat

Other News

Tohu Whenua sites fill historical gaps as Kaitaia Primary turns 150

On April 7-10th 2025, Kaitaia Primary School will celebrate it’s 150th anniversary. With limited information about the school’s earliest educational activities, nearby Tohu Whenua sites Kerikeri Mission Station (Kororipo Heritage Park) and Te Waimate Mission Station are helping to fill some of the gaps.

Learn history where it happened with Tohu Whenua

Tohu Whenua landmarks tell some of our nation’s defining stories, which makes them ideal for students learning our history.

Jane Takotowi Clendon

Jane Clendon was a strong woman of Hokianga Māori descent who had the odds stacked against her.

Denniston - Life on the hill

A gathering 30 years ago of hundreds of former Denniston residents sparked the idea of Friends of the Hill, a community group that’s still actively connected to the coal-mining town – despite it being home to just a handful of people today

Follow us and share your #TohuWhenua