THE TARAWERA ERUPTION
Service For Victims (United Press Association.) Rotorua, June 15. An interesting ceremony took place at Te Wairoa, overlooking Lake Tarav/era, yesterday, when the Bishop of Aotearoa (the Rt. Rev. Dr Bennett), conducted a commemoration service for the 150 Maoris and Europeans who perished in the Tarawera eruption on the night of June 10, 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 Mr Cecil Spencer, who is a grandson of the Rev. S. M. Spencer, who commenced work among the Maoris at Te Wairoa nearly 100 years ago. At a subsequent meeting, the Tuhourangi tribe discussed plans for erecting 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 hang.
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Bibliographic details
Southland Times, Issue 22917, 16 June 1936, Page 8
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191THE TARAWERA ERUPTION Southland Times, Issue 22917, 16 June 1936, Page 8
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