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Biography: Despard, Henry

A sketch of Ruapekapeka pa, 11 January 1846, by Cyprian Bridge

A sketch of Ruapekapeka pa, 11 January 1846, by Cyprian Bridge
When British troops under the command of Colonel Henry Despard stormed Ruapekapeka pa on 11 January 1846 they found it virtually abandoned, but were drawn into an ambush nearby.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: A-079-007

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

How to cite this page

J. A. B. Crawford. 'Despard, Henry', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990, updated August 2020. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/2834/a-sketch-of-ruapekapeka-pa-11-january-1846-by-cyprian-bridge (accessed 4 June 2026).