THE KING’S COLOURS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6325, 27 September 1907, Page 5

THE KING’S COLOURS.

rwHAT THEY ARB, AND, WHAT THEY MEAN. To many persons at Newtown Park the cefemony of the presentation of the King's colours,' -although an impressive and Interesting one, was no doubt somewhat meaningless, it not being generally understood what ■was the reason of the ©volutions, and their exact significance. - The Jvmg's colour, which was yesterday presented .to twenty-five different units throughout New Zealand, was earned by every infantry battalion _or mounted regiment in the Dominion which sent twenty men to the South African war, and bears the honour. “South Africa, 1899-1901." Every unit is supposed to possess two colours, the King's, which is a silken Union Jack, adorned with an. Imperial crown and the honours which have been won by the unit at various times, and the private colour, which bears some other emblem*, according to the unit to which it belongs. There is at present only one private colour in New Zealand, which was presented to the Canterbury volunteers many years ago. This colour has the representation of a white crane. Till the present time this has been about the only ‘ colour possessed by New Zealand volunteers,, the only exception being the Oueen e 'colour, with' tho honour Waireka, presented to a regiment after the Maori war. .

Now that the more important of our foot and mounted units possess King's colours, it is expected that they will procure private colours, and thus add to their appearance and attractiveness. The actual ceremony of the consecration and presentation pf the King's colours is a very simple, but withal impressive one. , Each unit to be presented with a colour is represented by six men and .an officer, who takes the colour from the hand of the sovereign or his representative—in the present case the Governor —on bonded knee. The colour is then saluted, and "trooped.”