STORY OF A MAORI FLAG.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 21 April 1917, Page 2

STORY OF A MAORI FLAG.

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND

The following letter came from the! present commander of tne New Zaaiand: — H.M.S. New Zealand. February 5, 1917. Dear Mr Green, — I am writing to tell you that the New Zealand flag you and the Maoris of Kaiapoi so kinuly sent to this ship arrived, on board safeiy and/an very i good condition yesterday, and it snali be flown on boara this ship whenever sh& is in action. 1 am explaining to the officers and men in this ship the history of the Hag and who have sent it to us, and your wishes that it should be flown in action. 1 remain, yours truly 3 John F. iiV Green, Captain.

Captain Green in another lettar enclosed, an account of the iNew Zealand flag -compiled by Mr Oarr Laughton, who is tne Admiralty librarian, and. in this letter said;, "i was very pleased to get your letter and to hsar how closely you watch tlie doings of this fine snip, and 1 can assure you we are all very proud on board to belong to a ship bearing the name of New Zealand and all that it means to th s Mother Country in these times. I have no doubt but that we shall have another big fight on sea, and 1 feel, sure that the JSiew Zealand will give a- very good account of herself and uphold the fine name made by tne .New Zealand troops , and the fine tradition of the Maoris' bravery in days past." The sketch of the flag's history compiled at the Admiralty, stated that in 1834 Mr Busby, British Resident at j ths Bay of Islands, proposed to establish a national flag "for the New Zealanders, and Sir Richard Bourke (Governor of New South .Wales) sent three patterns. The Maori chiefs selected ons, which was publicly hoisted and was saluted with twenty-one guns by H.M.S. Alligator (March 20, 1834). Lord Aberdeen, as Secretary of State (War and Colonies) approved of these proceedings. The chiafs sent an address to the King of Britain, thanking him for the acknowledgment of their flag. It- was white with a St. George's cross, and in the upper corner of tha left hand a blue field with a red cross and four white stars. The chosen flag received twelve votes from the chiefs, another ten, and the third six. Two chiefs abstained from voting, apprehensive that danger lurked in the adoption of a flag. An entry in the Alligator's captain's journal for March 20, 1834, j* as follows: "10.30—Captain went on shore to the British Resident to attend at the ceremony of adopting a New Zealand National flag. 12.45—The flag was chosen by the chiefs. Saluted the same with twentyone guns." By this ceremony New Zealand was recognised as an independent country, but in 1839 the fear of a French syndicate formed to acquire i lands in the country led to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. "Seemingly," writes Mr L. G. Carr Laughton, the Admiralty librarian, "the flag book from which Mr Green took his description of the flag is Laurie's 'Collection of Flags,' which shows it with the date of 1831. The flags in this book are hand-colored, and it is quite .possible that m the same editions of the book no white fimbriation may have been shown to the small St. George's Cross in the canton. Properly it was fimbriated, as is shown by the Admiralty flag book ('English and Foreign Standards, Ensigns and other Flags'). 1845. In this it is represented with the length of the fly equal to twice that of the hoist. "It does not definitely appear when the flag became obsolete 3 but this would probably be 1865 or 1869, when Colonial flags were regularised. It would be interesting to determine its precise status between 1840 and 1865. "It is worthy remark that this flag was adopted, and is still used, by the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company^ as its house flag. Presumably it was so adopted after it had become obsolete as a; national flag, but I have no note of the circumstances. It is now (says the Christchurch Star) proposed at Tuahiwi to send a replica of the flag to the Maori Contingent serving in France, for ceremonial purposes, the colour to be inscribed with a suitable native fighting motto.