Memorial To The Volunteers Of The ’Sixties Advocated

Wanganui Chronicle, 4 February 1948, Page 4

Memorial To The Volunteers Of The ’Sixties Advocated

The view that the names of the personnel of the militia volunteer corps which took part in the defence of Wanganui during the two emergencies in the ’sixties should be commemorated by a tablet in Moutoa Gardens was expressed by Mr. C. L. Lovegrove ,in the course of an address to the Wanganui Rotary Club yesterday. He said that Moutoa Gardens was one of the most historic sites in Wanganui relating to the early forces. The gardens were not only the parade and training ground for the militia, but all the balloting for the detachments who were to do their two weeks’ duty in the outposts was done at the gardens. The volunteer corps who paraded there in 1865 were Captain Cameron’s Cavalry troops, Prince of _ Wales Rifles, Caledonian Rangers, and Victory Rifles- He added that in 1868 the Gardens was the general assembly place for the militia, but only the Wangtfnui Volunteer Cavalry and Veteran Rifles were the corps that year.

Mentioning the Rutland Stockade, Mr. Lovegrove said it was built in April, 1847, by the 58th Regiment, subsequently the First Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment. Erected in Queen’s Park, it incorporated all that area, including the Cenotaph. The York Stockade, which was named after the York and Lancashire Regiment, was erected on the hill on which now stands the fire bell tower. It was a stronghold which prevented unfriendly Maoris from getting into the town.

Named after St. John’s Wood, England ,the area which is now- known as St. John’s Hill, extended in the 'sixties right down to Dublin Street, and was heavily wooded. The thick growth was ideal for marauding Maoris at the time and the wood was resulted in a peace party of Maoris coming into the Rutland Stockade to the scene of a demonstration which put an end to further incidents, said the speaker. In the course- of his address Mr. Lovegrove gave in brief review a short history of the outpost line occupied by Wanganui troops in the S *Mr eS H. R. Lattey voiced the club’s thanks to Mr. Lovegrove for his address.