 Hadfield was stationed at Paihia in the Bay of Islands.Following a request by Tāmihana Te Rauparaha and Mātene Te Whiwhi for a missionary in their area, Hadfield travelled with Henry Williams to establish an CMS mission on the Kapiti Coast in November 1839.Riwai Te Ahu, who later became an Anglican minister, was baptised by Hadfield at the Waikanae Mission in 1840.