MINISTER UNVEILS TAIPA MEMORIAL

Northland Age, Volume XVIII, Issue 38, 15 February 1949, Page 1

MINISTER UNVEILS TAIPA MEMORIAL

On Saturday, the Minister of Native Affairs, the Hon. E. T. Tirikatene and party, before a large gathering, unveiled the new memorial at Taipa' erected to honour the memory of the landing of the first canoe in New Zealand at the time of the great Polynesian migration, and those who fell in the two World Wars. Accompanying the Minister was Mr. Paikea "M.P, for the Northern Maori Cons itutency, and the Minister's sccrttay, Mr. R. Love, who is a hereditary chief of the Taranaki tribes, and brother to the famous Colonel Love of the Maori Battalion. When the offical party touched down in their Devon plane at 10.45 a m. they were met and welcomed by Mr. J. Gill, President of the Mangonui R.S.A., Mrs. Gill and Mr. W. R. Langley, Secretary of the Mangnnui R.S.A. On the way to Taipa, a halt \as made at Awanui where they were entertained at a delightful morning tea, by Mr. George Fleming and Mrs. Fleming. Upon the arrival of the party at Taipa, the Minister inspected a Guard of Honour formed by returned men, loth pakeha anef Maori, under the command of Mr. J. W. Dawson, VicePresident of the Mangonui R.S.A. On the official dais were the Hon. E. T. Tirikatene, Hon. F. Hackett, Minister of Marine who joined the party upon its arrival, and Mrs. Hackett. Mr. Paikea M.P., Mr. R. I.ove, ■Judge Pritchard of the Maori Court, Mr. J. King, Master of Ceremonies, Mr. J. Gill of the R.S.A. and Mrs. Gill, Mr. I. Berghan representing the Mangonui County Council and some few Maori Chiefs of the dist.-ict and .surroundings. Himiona K amir a, "Thief, of Hokianga, was the first speaker, and Tie -gave welcome t 0 the distinguished vis *s and gave thanks to’ the God who enabled all to be present on that day. Pcreiha Taumana, Chief of the Natikahu tribe, also welcomed the visitors, and asked the Minister to unveil a memo rial to the Maori warriors who had given their lives in two wars, and to the memory of the landing of the Maoris. He made special'reference to the landing at TUTpa of that great chief Kupe, and pointed out the exact spot as he had been told by those who had the tale from his ancestors. He ended his peroration, a chant that is said, to hajeheen sung by Kupe and his rheiyifiprai.se of the God that guided jlihni on their way across the mighty ocean. Honi Heke^Rankin 0 f the Ngapuhi tribe also gave welcome to all, and told of the mighty battles that had been fought at tliaijdaee, instancing that the memorial w'ould serve as an everlasing tribute to those warriors also. He likened their muskets of that, day by saying that this new form of weapon was the atomic age to the then Maori, just as the atomic bomb was to- us toSay. Mr. I. Berghan welcomed the visitj ors on behalf of Conn-

Impressive Ceremony

ty Council, ahd said that this wa» a great day in the history of the County, and he felt sure that nothing could weld pakeha and Maori so much as functions and memorials of this kind. He paid tribute to all those Maoris who had fallen in the cause of democracy, and thanked all those parents who had sent their sons forth to do honour to them and their count* y. Judge Pritchard paid respects to the elders of the tribes, to the ancestors who had landed from the canoes in the Great Migration, and to the Warriors of World War 1 and Wrld War 2. Mr. Tirikatene addressed the gathering in the Maori tongue, giving thanks to all those speakers who had been before him. Then in English he repeated his address and in paying tribute to those warriors who had fallen in the cause of democracy, he asked that all might be spared so that they could pray to the Great God to keep peace amongst mankind for all time. He went on to say that the Prime Minister, Mr. Peter Fraser, had asked him to apologise for his absence that day owing to affairs of national importance, and said that the Prime Msnister had told him to express deepest sympathy to all those parents who had lost sons in the great fighting, and to extend best wishes for tlm day’s proceedings and for all times. After the unveiling, a wreath was placed on the memorial by Mr. Gill and Mr. Langley, from returned servicemen, in tribute to those Maoi. comrades who had fallen in action Then the “Last Post” was sounded followed by a quotation from Bir.yor which commences “They shall noi grow o'd, ' as vve "'ho are left grow old,” deivered by Mr. J. Gill. Mr. D. Urlich read the Roll of Honour which is inscribed in marble plaqur on the base of the edifice. A flag was presented by Mr. F Hackett t 0 the Ngatikahu trib« through Mr. Paikea. This was hoisted into the slight breeze as the trumpeter sounded “Reveille.” Then came a roll of drums, followec by the National Anthem. The memorial takes the form of i concrete base into which is let tlire* marble plaques, one on each side tell 1 ing the story 0 f Kupe’s landing ii the canoe Mamuru both in Maori ant English, and the other is the Rod o Honour of the fallen. This is surmunted by a carved poll ‘ or totem which symbolises a canoi I surmounted by a Maori Chief. The ceremony as a whole was nu s impressive, and particularly so whet ! the great concourse of people rever „ ently stood bareheaded under a bril i liant sun whilst the hymn “O God OU help in ages past” was being sung. The trumpeter was Mr. J. Hodgson and the drummer Mr. B. Hegley. Mr. Hini Manurewa acted as inter preter.