Trace the fascinating history of Taupo's Armed Constabulary. During the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s Taupo was seen as a strategic location by government authorities.   Particularly in the campaign against Maori leader Te Kooti, who was involved in many skirmishes and battles in the Urewera and Taupo region.

A chain of forts was set up extending from Napier to Taupo in the late 1860s-early 1870s. The Tapuaeharuru Redoubt was built overlooking the Waikato River thus starting European settlement in Taupo. Roads, buildings, postal services and telegraph lines were soon established, however, the tiny community was slow to expand.

As commander of the redoubt and later resident magistrate, Colonel John Mackintosh Roberts of the Armed Constabulary made his mark on the town. View a duplicate copy of his New Zealand Cross, awarded in 1876 for valour under fire. Only 23 of these medals were ever issued making this one of the rarest decorations in the world. The original medal is held in the National Army Museum at Waiouru.