Troops of the 65th Regiment were the first stationed at Albert Barracks. In 1849 they were replaced by the 58th Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Robert Wynyard. In August 1855 a detachment of the 58th Regiment (273 troops) under Major Charles Nugent was sent to Taranaki on the "Duke of Portland". Tensions had been growing there over land sales and New Plymouth was deemed vulnerable to attack by local Maori.