CAIRN UNVEILED

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 54, Issue 3892, 21 April 1937, Page 11

CAIRN UNVEILED

TO MEMORY OF REV. SPENCER. CEREMONY AT TE WAIROA. A unique ceremony took place on Sunday afternoon at Te Wairoa, south east of Rotorua, and literally in the shadow of Mt. Tarawera. It will be recalled that in the disastrous eruption at Tarawera on June 11th, 1886, widespread damage was dope, including the destruction of the worth famed Pink and White Terraces. In addition the mission church at Te Wairoa was demolished, being buried under a huge deposit of volcanic ash detritus, etc. There was also considerable loss of life over a wide areg. As a consequence the residents pf the locality were evacuated and most of the district abandoned for many years.

The minister in charge of the church at Te Wairoa was the Rev. Spencer (grandfather of Mrs J. F. Brooks, of Te Awamutu, and her brother, Mr Cecil Way, of Te Wairoa), and the ceremony held on Sunday was the unveiling of a memorial to the memory of Mr Spencer.

BRONZE BELL RECOVERED. About two years ago the bronze bell that had called the faithful to worship at. Te Wairoa over half a century ago at the pretty little church was unearthed by Mr Way, who nowadays fgrms the property where the church 'stood, and steps were taken to incorporate the bell in the memorial. After full consideration by all concerned, and with the approval of the Right Rev. F. A. Bennett, Bishop of Aotearoa, plans were forwarded for erecting a memorial cairn on the site of the former church, and surmounting the edifice was the bell. The building plan also provided that when the new church is erected it will incorporate the cairn and bell. The service at Te Wairoa on Sunday was attended by a very representative congregation, including Mrs Brooks, who made the trip from Te Awamutu especially for the occasion. UNIQUE BAPTISMAL RECORD. Preceding the unveiling of the cairn was a baptismal service conducted by Bishop Bennett, who baptised the baby daughter of Mr and Mrs .Percy Thomasen (the latter Mr Way’s second daughter), and it is worthy of note that the child’s mother was married on the site of the old church, and that Mr Way and his mother (nee Spencer) were baptised in the original edifice. Thus four generations have been closely identified with the church.

The cairn to the Rev. Spencer’s memory was also unveiled by Bishop Bennett, who was assisted by Rev McCutcheon (of Rotorua), Revs M. M. Tumata.hi and Ppha Tu.reia (Maori missionaries), and Revs. Stephen Talu and Charles Parapolo, of the Solomon Islands, who are members of the Melanesian Mission party now visiting New Zealand. THE CEREMONY COMPLETED. An appropriate and inspiring address was delivered by the Bishop, and after several hymns had been rendered by the congregation, Mr Way’s youngest daughter, Miss Sybil Way, rang the bell to indicate that the ceremony was complete. Bishop Bennett mentioned in his address that as a boy he had been privileged to ring the bell when it was part of the original church. Afternoon tea was served at the re sidence of Mr and Mrs Way, almost alongside the site of the original Spencer home, that was destroyed in the eruption.