MAORI GATHERING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 229, 27 September 1943, Page 6

MAORI GATHERING

INVESTITURE OF V.C.

ASSEMBLY OF THE TRIBES

Arrangements for the assembly of the Maori tribes for the ceremony of the Governor-General's visit to Ruatoria on October 6 to invest the parents of the late Second-Lieutenant Ngarimu with the Victoria Cross won by their son in the North African campaign, have been made by Lieutenant W. P. Clarke. Lieutenant Clarke states that he expects a party of about 200 from between the North Cape and Auckland, comprising 50 schoolchildren 25 civilians and 125 Servicemen. The children will be in charge of the Education Department, and the civilians will be looked after by Lieutenant Lattimer, while Lieutenant Clarke will care for the Servicemen. The civilians' itinerary is: Arrive Auckland on Thursday (September 30), and leave by 3 p.m. train on Friday (October 1) for Palmerston North, and thence to Gisborne, j where they will take cars for Ruatoria. The Servicemen from the north will arrive in Auckland on Friday (October 1), and will be billeted by the Army at Gloucester Park, Onehunga. On Saturday (October 2) they leave by the Taneatua express train at 9 a.m. for Matata. Other Servicemen and civilians south of Auckland will be picked up en route. Service and Army transport will be provided to Te Kaha on October 3, and the following day will take the party through to Ruatoria. Tribes from the north will be billeted at Tikitiki, norm of Ruatoria. and those from the south at Tokomaru Bay, south of Ruatoria, all converging at Ruatoria on October 6. Visiting Servicemen will be billeted at Mangananea in Ruatoria, while visiting relatives of the late Lieutenant Ngarimu will be billeted at his home pa of Hiruharama. It is expected that there will be 10,000 people at the investiture, and the ceremonial will include hakas and dances by 1000 Maori men and 1000 Maori women.