KŌWHITIRANGI — 1941 · Major Tragedy
The Kōwhitirangi Shootings (1941)
In October 1941 at Kōwhitirangi on the South Island's West Coast, a dairy farmer long in dispute with his neighbours opened fire on police who had asked him to hand over his rifle for the war effort. On 8 October four police officers who came to the farm and an education officer who tried to help the wounded were fatally shot. The largest manhunt in New Zealand's history followed, with police, soldiers and volunteers searching the area for days. Seven people died in total over twelve days of events. The gunman was shot and captured on the evening of 20 October and died the next day. The events became a trauma remembered in the region for generations.
- Date
- 1941
- Place
- West Coast, New Zealand, Kōwhitirangi, NZ
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- -42.8600, 171.0300 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 8 October 1941Four police officers and an education officer were shot at the farm.
- October 1941The largest manhunt in the country's history began.
- 20 October 1941The gunman was shot and captured; he died the next day.
- March 1943The wounded education officer died, bringing the toll to seven.
Sources
- NZ History — Stan Graham's killing spree on West Coast nzhistory.govt.nz ↗
- NZ Herald — Shoot to kill: the bloodiest manhunt in New Zealand history nzherald.co.nz ↗
- Wikipedia — Stanley Graham en.wikipedia.org ↗
- NZ History
- NZ Herald
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.