Hands on Tauranga offers students stimulating and original learning opportunities with real museum objects that support the New Zealand curriculum at primary and secondary school level.
Two complete cannon balls and a fragment from a cannon ball. The balls are made from cast iron.
These spheres of cast iron are also referred to as 'shot', 'round shot', 'solid shot' or 'ball'. A round shot fired from a large-caliber gun is usually called a cannonball.
During the Battle of Pukehinahina Gate Pā, the British fired cannon balls from a device called a coehorn mortar. Their usual horizontal cannon shot would often not penetrate the thick woven barrier mats that were hung outside Māori pā to protect the wooden structures. The vertical trajectory and plunging fire of the Coehorns was effective in reaching over the walls of the pā.
Cannons (also known as a large calibre gun) were used in World War 1 and World War 2. The name cannon gradually came to be applied to every gun fired from a carriage or fixed mount and with the inside of the barrel larger than one inch. By WW1 solid lead cannon balls were mostly replaced by artillery shells ( a projectile containing an explosive filling) firing from a cannon (large gun).
The Word 'cannon' can be traced to the Old Italian word cannone, which means "large tube."
Fun fact: in the olden days some New Zealand schools used cannon balls for shot put practice!
max dimension: 40mm 2oz, 90mm 4oz, 130mm 12oz
subject area: Social Science, Technology, Maths and Statistics
specific themes: War, Conflict, Military, Weapon, Gate Pā, Pukehinahina, NZ Wars, Pirates, Battle of Trafalgar,
handling collection number: HC98/1-3
why not also get your hands on these...
> Hue (gourds/calabash) https://www.handsontauranga.co.nz/hot-items/the-arts/hue-hc230/
> Te Pakanga o Pukehinahina / Battle of Gate Pā flag https://www.handsontauranga.co.nz/products/battle-of-pukehinahina-gate-pa-flag-hc44/
> Pukehinahina Gate Pā maps and overlays https://www.handsontauranga.co.nz/hot-items/social-science/pukehinahina-gate-pa-maps-and-overlays-hc231/
>Taratoa and the Code of Conduct picture book https://www.handsontauranga.co.nz/hot-items/social-science/taratoa-and-the-code-of-conduct-book-hc86/
> Relics of Gate Pā Pukehinahina set of books https://www.handsontauranga.co.nz/products/te-pakanga-o-pukehinahina-battle-of-pukehinahina-gate-pa-class-set-of-books-hc204/
