Von Tempsky and the Forest Rangers: History of the Forest Rangers during the New Zealand Wars

The legendary Forest Rangers were an irregular corps that fought during the New Zealand Wars. Raised initially for scouting duties with the British Imperial forces prior to the invasion of the Waikato, the Forest Rangers soon proved themselves adept at bushfighting against North Island Maori resisting the dubious land-grabbing policies of the Colonial Government. Never more than 100 strong, and superbly led by the indomitable soldier-settler William Jackson and the Prussian adventurer Gustav von Tempsky, the Forest Rangers took the fight to Maori in their own bush environment. Armed with breech-loading carbines, fighting knifes and revolvers, the men were well equipped and skilled in close-quarter fighting. Amongst their ranks were ex-British soldiers, disaffected seamen, out-of-luck gold miners and gentlemen adventurers, all eager for action and the ‘Queen’s shilling’. An added incentive was the promise of confiscated Maori land. Romanticised by Colonial writers of the day but considered ill disciplined by British officers, the Forest Rangers were much feared by Maori. Their campaigning in the Waikato, Taranaki and East Coast wars was both arduous and ruthless, as they searched for and engaged Maori. Resourceful in both combat and bushcraft, the Forest Rangers were considered the elite of the colonial units, and in later years many an old soldier made spurious claims of having served alongside the dashing von Tempsky. However, their aggressive waging of war against Maori in actions such as the Battle of Orakau and the sacking of Rangiaowhia still generates unease and controversy today.