Post by Kiwi Frontline on Oct 28, 2017 3:40:13 GMT 12
A 'PROFESSIONAL HISTORIAN' INDEED?
It's about time someone called out Vincent O'Malley's BS. From the flyleaf of his latest book 'The Great War For NZ' he says he is a professional historian and founding partner of History Works, a Wellington consultancy specialising in Treaty of Waitangi research.
This means he is funded by the Waitangi tribunal, and his research is slanted and biased in their favour.(the more unreasonable amongst us might call him a 'Treaty Trougher'.)
Just a quick example. On page 294 of his book Rangiaowhia is a "peaceful undefended village" on page 298 it becomes a "LARGELY defenceless community of women, children and the elderly"
But here's the rub...on page 54 he writes "Hoani Papita Kahawai, one of the young men who had proudly sent the gift of flour to Queen Victoria was killed in the same British attack on Rangiaowhia"...Hang on a second, thought you said there were only 'women, children and the elderly' at Rangiaowhia???,,, So how did this 'Young Man' get there?...and how many other 'Young Men' (read warriors) were there as well??
Another example: page 73. "among the places Resident Magistrate Francis Dart Fenton visited during his circuits was Taupiri, where the church missionary Benjamin Yates Ashwell had been based since 1843" Except that Ashwell was never based at Taupiri...he was based at Kaitotehe which is across the Waikato river and 1km to the south of Taupiri... a 'professional historian' indeed...should perhaps have known this, shouldn't he?.
Just to clarify the above. On page 54 O'Malley writes:""Hoani Papita Kahawai, one of the young men who had proudly sent the gift of flour to Queen Victoria was killed in the same British attack on Rangiaowhia".
It must be pointed out, that O'Malley makes it sound like the flour was sent directly to Queen Victoria by Kahawai...it wasn't, it was sent to Governor George Grey who then forwarded it...subtle difference.
Also the flour was sent in 1849 and the Rangiaowhia skirmish was on the morning of Feb 21 1864. So was Kahawai still a 'young man'? I believe so...he would have been in his late 30's.
Another point that O'Malley doesnt tell us about, is that Hoani Papita Kahawai was a Waikato chief...now what was a chief doing in Rangiaowhia?...why wasn't he at the Paterangi redoubt leading his warriors against the British?
By D J
It's about time someone called out Vincent O'Malley's BS. From the flyleaf of his latest book 'The Great War For NZ' he says he is a professional historian and founding partner of History Works, a Wellington consultancy specialising in Treaty of Waitangi research.
This means he is funded by the Waitangi tribunal, and his research is slanted and biased in their favour.(the more unreasonable amongst us might call him a 'Treaty Trougher'.)
Just a quick example. On page 294 of his book Rangiaowhia is a "peaceful undefended village" on page 298 it becomes a "LARGELY defenceless community of women, children and the elderly"
But here's the rub...on page 54 he writes "Hoani Papita Kahawai, one of the young men who had proudly sent the gift of flour to Queen Victoria was killed in the same British attack on Rangiaowhia"...Hang on a second, thought you said there were only 'women, children and the elderly' at Rangiaowhia???,,, So how did this 'Young Man' get there?...and how many other 'Young Men' (read warriors) were there as well??
Another example: page 73. "among the places Resident Magistrate Francis Dart Fenton visited during his circuits was Taupiri, where the church missionary Benjamin Yates Ashwell had been based since 1843" Except that Ashwell was never based at Taupiri...he was based at Kaitotehe which is across the Waikato river and 1km to the south of Taupiri... a 'professional historian' indeed...should perhaps have known this, shouldn't he?.
Just to clarify the above. On page 54 O'Malley writes:""Hoani Papita Kahawai, one of the young men who had proudly sent the gift of flour to Queen Victoria was killed in the same British attack on Rangiaowhia".
It must be pointed out, that O'Malley makes it sound like the flour was sent directly to Queen Victoria by Kahawai...it wasn't, it was sent to Governor George Grey who then forwarded it...subtle difference.
Also the flour was sent in 1849 and the Rangiaowhia skirmish was on the morning of Feb 21 1864. So was Kahawai still a 'young man'? I believe so...he would have been in his late 30's.
Another point that O'Malley doesnt tell us about, is that Hoani Papita Kahawai was a Waikato chief...now what was a chief doing in Rangiaowhia?...why wasn't he at the Paterangi redoubt leading his warriors against the British?
By D J