DEFENCE OF THE CITY

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 29, 3 August 1921, Page 12

DEFENCE OF THE CITY

— ■«»•- THE MILITIA IN 1845

WELLINGTON'S WAR SCARE.

The year 1845 found Wellington with the appearance of ft military camp or besieged city, writeo Mr. W.. A. Edwards, of the Early Settlers' Association. A feeling of insecurity, commencing at flic time of the Wairau massacre, had brought the necessity of preparing for the defence of their homes before the settlers. The continued depredations of the Natives in the Hutt Valley, and finally the- outbreak oi' hostilities iv the north, made the erection of defensive positions in the town very necessary. By April, 184S, places of security were being formed by surrounding the immigration houses, and Mr. Clifford's house on Thorndon Flat, with a strong mud wall and deep and bi:oad>rench. At Te Aro similar defences were thrown up, from Mr. Waitt's store to Messrs. Ridgway, Hickson, and Co.'s on the. waterside, and from Mr. Ludlam's house to Dr. Hansard's, in Manners-street, and these were connected with defences along the side lines. A place of defence and refuge for the cento division of the town was proposed to be erected on the hill behind Northland and Drake's brewery (the present site of the Wellington Club). Volunteer corps had been formed, and were drilled morning and evening on both the Te Aro and Thorndon Flats. On Monday, 7th April, 1845, the Thorndon and Te Aro divisions of the Wellington Volunteers assembled on the Thorndon Flat, in accord with notice published by his Honour the Superintendent, when notice was given_ that on necessity the alarm would be given by agun being fired in the enclosure adjoining Major Richmond's house, and at the barracks, Te Aro. Fifty men of each. division, who were reported efficient, would be supplied with arms forthwith. On the alarm being given, the Thorndon division was to assemble near to Major. Richmond's residence, and the Te Aro division at the barracks, Te Aro, there to. receive orders.

The two divisions numbered 229 men,, and from their marching and evolutionsthey appeared to have mad<S great progress 1 with their drill, which was highly, creditable to the sergeant and corporals furnished by Captain Eyton to the volunteers. In the meantime the first New Zealand Militia Act had been instituted, and by notice dated 20th May, 1845, Major: Richmond had been authorised under this Act " to cause two hundred of the inhabitants of Wellington liable under" the ordinance to serve in the militia, to 1 be-forthwith embodied, armed, and drilled to do constant duty until further, orders," etc. Persons liable to serve, and wishing to volunteer for duty, were requested to enrol their names without delay at the residences of Captains Wakefield, Durie, Compton, and Dorset, or Adjutant Macdonough. On Monday morning, 26th May, the militia volunteers assembled on Thorndon Flat. The body took the oath of allegience to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and received the usual enlisting fee. Bronzed muskets and bayonets, with belts and cartoucb boxes, formerly belonging to the 51st Regiment stationed in Van Djemen's Land, were given out, and directions read for the guidance of the militia. Many of the men enlisted for a period of three months, and the remainder for twenty-eight days. To make up the deficiency at the end of each month (should no volunteers offer), the ballot (in terms of the ordinance) would be used, as many drawn from the rest of the inhabitants as might be required to complete the two hundred men.

It speaks well for our early settlers that in this first call for militia the full number was made up of volunteers; under the ordinance each able-bodied man was to serve at least twenty-eight days during the year. The rates of pay, as no special provision was made, were the same as for the line regiments stationed here, thirteen pence per day, the men to attend drill twice each day. Tenpence per day additional pay could, however, be earned by any volunteer who would work for a reasonable time each day; between the hours of drill, upon the fortifications. Thus, nearly two shillings per day could be obtained by a volunteer from the Government, who were anxious to put as many men as would offer themselves on these terms at work on the forts. As the Government had no implements, a volunteer was required to provide either a barrow, a pick, or a spade. It is unnecessary to add that many availed themselves of this offer.