The New Zealand Wars Study Centre
The NZDF is now using lessons from New Zealand’s own turbulent past to help prepare modern-day personnel to meet the challenges of the future.
Te Kura o Nga Pakanga o Aotearoa – the New Zealand Wars Study Centre (NZWSC) – has developed a series of learning activities focussing on the New Zealand Wars of 1845-72. The activities include battlefield tours, where students can walk the ground and visualise the events that occurred there.
The NZWSC Director, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Taylor, found case studies of warfare in New Zealand’s own history. “The New Zealand Wars provide many valuable lessons that continue to resonate today.”
All NZWSC staff are recognised authorities on the New Zealand Wars, and as serving Army officers they can highlight the military dimension of the Wars in a way that improves the learning experience for students.
A feature of the Centre’s approach is the way staff adapt the subject matter to meet the student’s needs.
“For example, we can interpret the Waikato War (1863-64) to help junior personnel understand minor tactics and junior command and leadership; and much more senior Command and Staff College students to understand joint planning, coalition warfare and strategic-level decision-making.” Says Lieutenant Colonel Taylor.
“We emphasise aspects such as logistics, intelligence and littoral warfare, as appropriate. This means that a serviceperson could look at the same battle or campaign several times throughout their career and learn something new and relevant each time.”
Lieutenant Colonel Taylor recognises that the subject matter can be confronting for many personnel – particularly as every group will include descendants of those who fought each other during the Wars.
As such, he said the Centre focusses on describing and analysing what happened, and why, and without judgement of those involved.
