Ōtātara pā is one of the largest, most important pā sites in New Zealand. Its strategic hilltop location close to natural resources meant that ownership was often contested. When Ngāti Kahungunu expanded into Heretaunga from the north they attacked the pā and assumed a position of dominance in the region. The area was part of a larger block of land purchased by the Crown in 1851. Part of the site was turned into a quarry in the 1920s, which destroyed most of the lower pā. It has been a historic reserve since 1971. The palisades are a modern reconstruction.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
by Kerryn Pollock
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