TARAWERA ERUPTION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 15 June 1936, Page 3

TARAWERA ERUPTION

COMMEMORATION SERVICE ON SITE OF OLD CHURCH (By Telegraph—Press Association) ROTORUA, This Day. An interesting ceremony took place at Te Wairoa, overlooking the lake, yesterday when the Bishop of Aotearoa, the Rt. Rev. F. A. Bennett conducted a commemoration service for 150 Maoris and Europeans who perished in the Tarawera Eruption on the night of 10th June 1886. The service was held in a small bush clearing on the site of the old church, which was one of a number of buildings demolished by the eruption. Among the congregation were a number of elderly Maoris who were living at Te Wairoa at the time of the eruption. The old bell which was sounded before the service was recently recovered from the ruins of the old church by Cecil, who is a grandson of the Rev. S. M. Spencer, who commenced work among the Maoris at Te Wairoa nearly a hundred years ago. At a subsequent meeting the Tuhourangi tribe discussed plans for erectr ing a suitable memorial on the site of the church. This will probably take the form of a suitably carved canopy, under which the old church bell will be hung.