In 1847, at the age of twenty-two, Rahapa married Irish-born farmer Thomas Power. Known for his agricultural skills, Governor Grey requested the couple work together to introduce local Māori to European farming practices. During the British invasion of the Waikato in 1864 Rangiaowhia was besieged. Rahapa and Thomas’ house was not attacked but afterwards, while Power was in Auckland with three of their five children, it was looted by soldiers.

What is significant about this union is that it formed one of the first Māori-European families in the Waipā district. Descendants of Rahapa and Thomas are still alive, some of which reside in the Waipā district today.

The Rangiaowhia Burned Whare Memorial Pou, erected by Ngāti Apakura in 2015 in the Catholic cemetery at the other end of the village, commemorates the Crown’s attack on the undefended village of Rangiaowhia on February 21, 1864, and features carvings that evoke the area’s history.

Te Rore’s New Zealand Wars Memorial marks the graves of three British soldiers who died in 1864 during skirmishes near the strategically significant Pāterangi line. Lieutenant-General Duncan Cameron set up British headquarters at Te Rore in early February 1864, with 3,000 troops positioned to confront Māori defensive fortifications (pā).

Notable casualties include Private William Connor, who succumbed to injuries from an ambush, and Privates John O’Hanlon and John Wilson, who also died during the campaign. This memorial, erected in 1921, serves as a tribute to their sacrifice and the broader military engagement that took place in the region.