Bay of Plenty residents are commemorating 160 years since the Battle of Te Ranga in Pyes Pa tomorrow, Friday, June 21.

A service at 225 Pyes Pa Rd was set to take place from 7.15am with a karakia (prayer) by Pastor Leanne Rolleston, waiata (song) from pupils of Taumata School, Te Kura o Manunui and Pyes Pa School, and hīmene (hymns) for everyone to take part in.

The commemoration will conclude around 8.30am followed by tea and coffee at Aquinas College.

The Battle of Te Ranga took place on June 21, 1864, and holds a significant place in Tauranga history and also nationally as part of the New Zealand Land Wars, although the current site does not reflect its importance.

The conflict at the current day corner of Pyes Pa and Joyce roads was seen as retaliation from British forces after their defeat at the Battle of Gate Pā the previous month.

Tauranga City Council, in partnership with Ngāi Tamarāwaho and the Pukehinahina Charitable Trust, is enhancing the site as part of an initiative to acknowledge the significance of the area, educate visitors, and provide more opportunities for the community to engage with stories of Tauranga Moana.

The project will see a tomokanga (gateway), information panels and seating added to the site. A carpark will be built from Joyce Rd and a walkway will connect the car park to the rest of the site.

A planted embankment was installed parallel to Pyes Pa Rd for sound protection in 2022.

To find out more about the Battle of Te Ranga and Te Ranga landscape plan, visit: https://letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/projects/te-ranga-landscape-plan