Hongi Hika’s wooden bust

Ngāpuhi leader and warrior, Hongi Hika (c. 1772 – 1828) was an important figure in Māori history. Hongi Hika successfully negotiated trade and missionary activities in the early part of the 19th century, living in Sydney from 1814 to 1819. In 1820 he visited England where he was feted by society and introduced to King George IV. His main aim however was acquire muskets; the weapons would be used in the Musket Wars in which Hongi was a successful military campaigner. The Chau Chak Wing Museum houses one of three busts of Hongi, one of which was a self-portrait carved by the warrior.

In this episode of Object Matters Dr Craig Barker is joined by Brent Kerehona, an educator, film marker, Māori-Australian scholar, Director of Purakau Productions and a descendant of Hongi Hika. Brent has been engaged in years of research on Hongi which will culminate in a film. In the podcast we discuss the bust and explore Brent and Hongi’s journeys through culture, family and through tāonga (artefacts).

Note: this podcast was recorded prior to the Sydney lockdown when an event was at that staged planned to be hosted in the Chau Chak Wing Museum to mark Hongi Hika’s bicentenary. That event will now place in early 2022.

Object details: Bust of Hongi Hika, ETI.570
View object online

Related article: Brown, D. (2016), Hongi Hika's self portrait, MUSE, 14, pp. 19-21

Host: Dr Craig Barker, Head, Public Engagement, Chau Chak Wing Museum and Director, Paphos Theatre Archaeological Excavations. Follow @DrCraig_B on Twitter and Instagram.

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