In 1834, the whaling ship Harriet was wrecked on the Taranaki coast. The survivors were captured by local Māori, and 12 crew members were killed; Captain Guard's wife Betty and their two children were also taken captive. Guard escaped and secured the support of the New South Wales government, leading to a rescue mission by HMS Alligator and the colonial schooner Isabella. The subsequent military operation was marked by significant violence as British forces destroyed several pā and killed many Māori to recover the captives.
The anchor of the Harriet was excavated in the twentieth century and now rests by the main road in Rahotu.
Location source:
Leask Atlas (vol 1) p. 30; Google Street View
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