New Play Takes 1898 Dog Tax Rebellion Back to Hokianga

24 September 2026

A dispute over a tax on dogs in 1898 ended in an armed stand-off between a Hokianga hapū and government forces. A new play is now bringing that story to the stage, including a performance in the Rawene township where it happened.

Tāke Kurī: The Dog Tax Rebellion, written by Ngāpuhi playwright Geoffrey Clendon, opens at Te Pou Theatre in Auckland on 28 October. It then tours to Kerikeri, Rawene and Waiheke Island in November.

The title translates simply: tāke means tax, and kurī means dog.

What the play is about

The play is set in Rawene, on the Hokianga Harbour in Northland, known in te reo Māori as Te Tai Tokerau.

It centres on the introduction of the Dog Tax, which the production says many Māori believed unfairly targeted their communities. The dispute escalated into an armed confrontation between Te Māhurehure hapū and government forces. A hapū is a kinship group, usually a sub-tribe within a wider iwi.

According to the production, the government response involved soldiers, police, politicians, naval ships and cannons. That is a striking scale of force for a dispute that began over a local tax.

The release describes the play as a blend of drama, comedy and history. It does not set out how the stand-off was resolved, leaving that for audiences to discover.

A personal story for the playwright

Clendon says his connection to the events is family history on both sides.

"I have a deep connection to this story because my ancestors, Māori and Pākehā, were involved on different sides of what unfolded," he said.

He says that connection brings a responsibility to tell the story "with honesty and care" and to acknowledge its complexity.

Clendon spent time in Te Tai Tokerau researching the play. He says people in the Hokianga encouraged the project, which confirmed for him that it was a story people wanted told.

What drew him in, he says, was how fast a local disagreement turned into a major confrontation. He describes it as a David and Goliath story, with a small community facing the full weight of the government.

Why a 128-year-old dispute still matters

The production argues the story is not only about 1898.

It raises questions that still come up in New Zealand today: how Māori communities and the state relate to each other, what happens when decisions are made without understanding their local impact, and how people respond when they feel unheard.

"This is a story about people, about choices, and about the consequences when power is not balanced," Clendon said.

For many New Zealanders, the Dog Tax Rebellion is far less familiar than the larger conflicts of the 19th century. Plays like this are one way lesser-known regional histories reach a wider audience.

Four actors, more than 20 characters

The play is staged as an ensemble work. Four actors play more than 20 characters between them, including Māori and Pākehā figures involved in the conflict.

There is also a lighter touch: a set of canine commentators who offer their own dry take on events.

The cast:

• Jade Daniels (Ngāpuhi), whose credits include Shortland Street, The Enemy Within and Eruption
• Francis Mountjoy, known for The Brokenwood Mysteries and Step Dave
• Noa Campbell (Ngāpuhi), whose credits include Bust Up and Chief of War
• Johnson Manukau (Tūhoe), whose credits include Rangitoto and Kūmara & The Mooncake

Archival photos and post-show discussion

Theatre foyers will display rare archival photographs from the Dog Tax Rebellion, showing some of the real people and events behind the play.

The production says the images will also open post-performance discussions on the history of the conflict and what it means today.

Three years in development

The play was first developed for Te Pou Theatre's Kōanga Festival in 2023, where it was presented as a workshop and reading. A second workshop followed in 2025.

Clendon has worked as a writer, actor and director across film, theatre and television for more than 40 years. He trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney and has worked in both New Zealand and Australia. His previous play, Rangitoto, premiered at The Pumphouse Theatre and Artworks Theatre in 2023.

Tour dates

Venue	Location	Dates
Te Pou Theatre	Auckland	28 October to 1 November
Turner Centre	Kerikeri	12 November
Rawene Town Hall	Rawene, Hokianga	13 November
Artworks Theatre	Waiheke Island	20 and 21 November, 7pm

Tickets are not yet on sale. Bookings for Te Pou Theatre, the Turner Centre and Artworks Theatre will be through each venue. Rawene Town Hall bookings are by email to rawenehall@gmail.com.

Bringing the story home

The Rawene performance on 13 November may be the most significant date on the tour.

It puts the story back in front of the community where it happened, including descendants of people on both sides of the stand-off. How that audience receives it will be the real test of whether the play has told the story with the care its writer promised.

Source: Tāke Kurī: The Dog Tax Rebellion production media release.