WAIRAU AFFRAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 5 August 1941, Page 6

WAIRAU AFFRAY

REALISTIC TABLEAU MADE ON VIEW AT NELSON MUSEUM There is at present on display in the Nelson Museum. Hardy street, a very fine model showing the final stage of ! the conflict at the Wairau in June 1843. The display, which is the work of the ' j curator of the Museum. Colonel C. B. 1 Brereton, has been prepared under the auspices of the Carnegie Trust, and will - be on show locally for about a week ; r , before being sent on circuit through I , the other museums of the Dominion. It ! will not return to Nelson for some j 1 months, and those who wish to see it j should do so during the next few days. ! STORY RECALLED Most people are aware that the Wai- j f j rau afirsy. perhaps the most famous of ‘ all the clashes between Maoris and I 1 Europeans, was the result of an ill- j i advised attempt on the part of the Nel- ; 1 son magistrates to arres* the chiefs j • Rauparaha and Rangihaeta. The two parties met at the Tuamarina stream, ' near its junction with the Wairau, and ' j while the Englishmen were recrossing j the stream after an ineffectual argu- ’ tnent with the Maoris, a shot was fired, . probably by accident, and a conflict , began. After some men had been killed I ion both sides the Englishmen retreated t,up a spur. Here the main party sur- - j rendered, but were soon after 'taken [ i down hill and massacred by the Maoris. . Altogether 22 Englishmen out of 49 lost . | their lives, including Captain Wakefield i i anc * several of the leading men of Nel--1 SCENE PORTRAYED i The tableau illustrates the scene just i ■ i before the massacre, whe;i the men j i who surrendered were standing among . j their captors. Other Maoris may be , seen racing up the hill, and the corpses j of these who have already fallen on J both sides are lying on the ground The i canoe by which the Englishman crossed I : j the stream, the trees, flax and fern are I very skilfully represented, and the , whole scene is most realistic. Colonel I I Brereton has taken endless pains with i his model. He made a special visit to ■I Marlborough to sketch the locality, re- I ; I ceiving muen assistance from Mr Frank ' ; I Smith, a local resident who has made a special study of the sub.iect. A numI ber of excellent photographs and a runI ning account accompany the tnodel. I Colonel Brereton is to be congratulated j on the excellence of his display, which ; will undoubtedly attract attention