VICE-REGAL PARTY

Southland Times, Issue 25306, 8 June 1935, Page 5

VICE-REGAL PARTY

VISIT TO ROTORUA.

(Per United Press Association.)

Rotorua, June 7.

The Governor-General and Viscountess Galway are at present paying their first visit to the Rotorua district in company with their family. The Vice-Regal party was accorded a civic welcome on arrival on Thursday afternoon and in the evening were the guests at a social function at which they met citizens. This morning they were welcomed on the terrace at Ohinemutu by the Arawa tribe, when a splendid demonstration of native pois and hakas was given by over 200 women and warriors. Traditional native ceremony marked the welcome and their Excellencies were obviously impressed with their first glimpse of Maori ceremonial. Lord Galway inspected the parade of Maori returned soldiers and received a petition praying that the word "massacre” be removed from the signboard erected on the site of the Opepe engagement near Taupo in June, 1869, when a party of Bay of Plenty cavalry were surprised and killed by hostile natives under Hau Hau, leader of the Te Kooti tribe. The petition pointed out that the engagement took place between armed forces during a state of war and could not therefore be called a massacre. Lord Galway promised to refer the matter to the responsible Ministers.

In the evening their Excellencies attended a Maori concert and during the week-end will visit a number of scenic attractions in the district.