THE CENTENNIAL AT AKAROA

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22883, 2 December 1939, Page 11

THE CENTENNIAL AT AKAROA

■ ■ - ♦- CELEBRATIONS FOR ONE DAY RE-ENACTMENT OF EARLY LANDING FEATURES PLANNED FOR NEXT YEAR Representatives of the Akarpa Centennial Committee, the Banks Peninsula counties, the Canterbury Provincial Council, and the South Island Maoris decided at a meeting at Akaroa yeste”day that the Akaroa part of the national celebrations should be confined to one day. March 30. next year, and that on that day the re-enactment of the landing of Captain Stanley from H.M.S. Britomart and the holding of a court "By the magistrates. Messrs Murphy and Robinson, should take place. A further proposal, which has yet to be completed by the Akaroa committee and confirmed by the provincial and national councils, is that church services should be held on the morning of Sunday. March 31, and in the afternoon the landing of the French immigrants from the Comte de Paris should be re-enacted. On Monday, April. 1, the holding of a special day for, the Maoris is proposed, and further celebrations after that day will be arranged by the local committee. Those present at the meeting yesterday were Mr F. H. E. Davis (Mayor of Akaroa). who presided, Messrs A. W. Mulligan (general secretary of the National Centennial Council), W. S. Wauchop (director of pageantry), T. H. McCombs. M.„'., R. M. Macfarlane, M.P. (Mayor of Christchurch), G. Manning, J. S. Neville (Town Clerk of Christchurch). T. M. Charters, P. R. Ciimie (organiser for the Canterbury Progress League), E. T. Tirikatene, M.P., Te Ari Pitama. W. D. Barrett (chairman of the Maori provincial centennial executive). E, Hay (Akaroa County), F. Coop (Wairewa County), Archdeacon A. J. Petrie, Messrs L. J. Vangioni. W. Jacobson (Akaroa Centennial Committee). Miss E. Le Lievre (representing the French residents), Mr P. G. Riches (Akaroa Town Clerk and secretary o£ the Akaroa committee) . Scale of Celebrations Mr Mulligan said the Government would make a grant towards the Akaroa celebrations through the provincial council. The principals in Wellington had decided that it would be impracticable to bring 500 Maoris to Akaroa for the celebrations and to have to build a ;amp for them. Akaroa’s programme would naturally have to be curtailed because of the war, and the celebrations confined to. one day. He suggested the South Island Maoris celebrations should take place during the Christchurch celebrations, and that a party of 50 Maoris should take part at Akaroa with Mr ■Te An Pitama in charge. Mr Wauchop outlined the arrangement made for thd re-enactment of Captain Stanley’s landing at Green Point. The main features would be a Maori village in Red House Bay with Maoris engaged in crafts, weaving, and cooking; the arrival of James Robinson Clough and a party of Maoris in canoes with Clough acting as interpreter; the arrival of Stanley and th<i t ' magistrates and European settlers; the hoisting of the flag; - the holding' of a court; the. reading of a prwlamation, followed by three cheers for the Queen; and the firing of muskets by the Maoris, Mr Wauchop said the party had visited Red House Bay yesterday morning and agreed that the locality provided a natural amphitheatre where, historic pageantry could be carried out. Mr W. Robinson, owner of the property at Green Point, has consented to it being used for the occasion. The re-enactment of the landingwith appropriate costumes, singing of a hymn and the Marseillaise, and the unveiling of a memorial at the spot where the French landed on the esplanade, will take place on the Sunday afternoon, and a fitting tribute will be paid to the French settlers. On the Monday, the day set aside for the Maoris, the programme will- include the roasting of a bullock, pigs, and lamb, under the supervision of Mr Te Ari Pitama. Loud speakers will be installed at Green Point when the landing is re-enacted and the whole scene will be filmed. The alteration of the date from April 1 to March 30 has been made so that as many Canterbury people as possible will be able to be present , . Mr Mulligan said he would _aeek Government support for a Maori meeting house at the Kaik, Akaroa, which the Akaroa Centennial Committee has promised to purchase for the Maoris at demolition value, and M.- Tirikatene thanked the committee for their assistance to the Maoris, # Messrs Mulligan and Wauchop discussed further details of the programme with the Akaroa committee last evening. Mr Macfarlane promised the assistance of the Canterbury Centennial Council for the celebrations at Akaroa, and to help with town illuminations.