In September 1855, Browne was appointed Governor of New Zealand, replacing Administrator Robert Wynyard. His handling of Māori land issues were a contributing factor in the outbreak of the First Taranaki War in a new phase of the New Zealand Wars: despite divisions among Waitara Māori over the ownership of land, Browne persisted with the purchase of the disputed Pekapeka block, further inflaming tensions between Māori and British settlers.