The Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps was formed in 1846, following the conclusion of the Northern War phase of the New Zealand Wars against Hone Heke. The Governor, George Grey, had requested military forces for the defence of the early settlers in New Zealand, instead of supplying regular military forces the British Parliament approved the creation of the Corps. The arrival of the fencible ships in Auckland, which had a population of 2,800 at the time, virtually doubled when the fencibles and their families disembarked.