HISTORIC COLOURS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 43, 14 November 1932, Page 10

HISTORIC COLOURS

Relics of 58th Regiment AUCKLAND CEREMONY Restored and Renovated Dominion Special Service. Auckland, Nov. 13. The historic colours of the 58th Regiment, restored witli reverential care, were officially handed over to the keeping of tlie authorities of the War Memorial Museum this afternoon. There was a large attendance of the public. The ceremony was presided over by the mayor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison. About 400 descendants of members of the 58th Regiment, and 60 descendants of the famous Maori chiefs, Tamati Waka, Nene Patuone, Hone Heke, and Hauiti were present. Speeches vividly recalled the historic exploits and battle honours of the 58th Regiment, and emphasised the most happy relations between Maori and pakeha that had followed their fierce fighting. The actual unveiling of the flag after the speeches was done by Lieut.-Colonel L. M. Shera, grandson of Lieut.-Colonel Balneavis, of the 58th Regiment. The mayor, who handed over the colours, referred to the important part the 58th Regiment had played in the early colonisation of this country, and to the satisfaction which Europeans had today in holding equally in respect and admiration those Natives who fought with the regiment and those who fought against it.

These historic colours, which have been restored and renovated, were presented to the “Black Cuffs,” as the 58th Regiment was nicknamed, on tlie Bruntsfield links, Edinburgh, bn July 9, 1841, by Lady Greenock, wife of the general officer then commanding the forces in Scotland. They were the first colours to be unfurled in New Zealand, being brought to the colony in Abril 1845, and remaining here until 1858. They were returned to New Zealand in October, 1860, so that only about six years of their 91 years’ existence have been spent out of this country; When the colours reached New Zealand a second time in the siiip Caduceus, which arrived in Auckland on October 12, 1860, after a trip of 110 days, they came as a gift to the people of the colony. A copy of the “New Zealander” of the time stated: “We can only say that they were sent out by Colonel Bridge as a courteous memorial of the kindly feeling entertained by the regiment for the people with whom they had served so long, and by whom they were so deservedly appreciated. The gift wasl made possible by the fact that on May 10, 1860, at Aidershot, the regiment was presented with new colours by Lieut.-General Knollys, who referred to the distinguished services of the regiment, particularly under General Wolfe at Quebec, under Sir Alexander Abervrombie at Alexandria, under Sir John Moore at Corunna, and in New Zealand under Colonel Cyprian Bridge. At the celebrations which followed, it was stated that the old colours were to be sent to New Zealand, and placed in St. Paul’s Church, Auckland. In pursuance of his intention, Lieut.Colonel Balneavis approached Bishop Selwyn for permission to have them hung in St. Paul’s. The Bishop declined, however, on the ground that, although it was the custom in England, tlie position was

different in New Zealand. Colours placed in churches in England had been carried in foreign wars, whereasl in New Zealand they had been carried against the Natives, and it would be inadvisable to take any action that might arouse further animosity. When it was learned in England that the colours could not be placed in St. Paul’s Church, some of the officers of the regiment wrote to Colonel Balneavis requesting that they should be returned to England, to be mounted in a church in Rutlandshire. In order to prevent this, a meeting of those interested was held about September, 1861, and arrangements were made with Sir George Grey, then Governor, for the colours to remain in the dining room at Government House “until Auckland shall boast a city hall or some other public edifice fit to receive them.” The colours remained at Government House, Auckland, until the seat of Government was removed to Wellington in 1864-65, when Colonel Balneavis took them to his own residence for safe keeping. When the new Auckland Supreme Court building was opened in 1868, they were placed over the Judge’s bench, hanging there from March 2 that year until January 10, 1909, when they were removed to the vestibule of the Avgjkland Public Library, which also serveci as a Town Hall. The colours remained there until early this year, when the Auckland War Memorial Museum authorities took charge of them for renovation. A stone memorial in the Hutt Valley, which masks the site of Boycott’s Farm Stockade, recalls the earliest engagement of the men of the 58th Regiment. Before the main body of the regiment arrived in New Zealand, a detachment of oO men of the 58th, who had come out from England to Australia as guard on a convict ship, had been hurried across to Wellington in 1845, when fighting broke out because the Maoris resented the way the pakehns were taking up land in the Hutt Valley. There were very few re"■ular troops, nnd the settlers had to shoulder a rifle and help themselves. The country was very rough: the time was winter/ and the men in the field suffered terrible hardships, being often short of food and clothing, and finding what shelter they conld.