The reserve covers the area previously occupied by Huriawa
pā (Te Pa a Te Wera) a major coastal Māori fortification, believed to have been established by
Kāi Tahu chief Te Wera in the years immediately preceding Captain
James Cook's visit to New Zealand in the late 18th century. The six-month siege of the pā by Te Wera's cousin Taoka (presumably in the mid-18th century) is one of the most widely recorded pre-colonial events along the Otago coastline. The pā had the strength given to it by its inaccessible location and also due to the natural spring (Te Punawai a Te Wera) which provided it with its own water supply. The siege was one of a number of battles between the two chiefs which ranged along the coastline from
Timaru to the mouth of
Otago Harbour. Huriawa Historic Reserve covers ==See also==