PIONEER'S GUN TURRET.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16750, 17 March 1926, Page 7

PIONEER'S GUN TURRET.

NGARUAWAHIA FUNCTION. SPEECH BY HON. R. F. BOLLARD AN INTERESTING REVIEW. (Times. Correspondent.) NGARUAWAHIA, Wednesday. At Ngaruawahia to-day an interesting function took place, when Hon. R. F. Bollard, Minister of Internal Affairs, banded over to the borough one of the gun turrets from 11.M.5. Pioneer, which vessel was so closely concerned in the early Maori wars.

"It is a pleasure to me to have been given the honour, on behalf of the Government, of handing over lo . his Worship the Mayor for safe keeping one of the gun turrets from H.M.S. Pioneer," said Mr Bollard. "It. is mainly due lo the efforts of my old friend, the late Mr Thomas Paterson, that the turret is to stand in Ngaruawahia as one of the borough's monuments. Ngaruawahia was no doubt the right place for the mounting of the turret. I was pleased to have been able to secure it for the borough, for I know that the people of the district will honour the relic. A few particulars of the history of the turret may prove of interest. Before leaving Wellington I had a glance at the records, which showed that the turret was 1 fitted on the Pioneer, which saw service on the Waikato River during the Maori war in 1863. The turrets were made by Mr James Mclntyre, engineer, of the Clyde iron works, who was in Januai/, 1924, still in business in Onehunga. At the termination of the war the turrets were taken from the Pioneer, one being placed at the township of Mercer, and the other being rolled on to the river bank about a mile and a half down-stream from the township. The one landed at Mercer for many years stood near the wharf, and was used as a lock-up by the police. Subsequently it was moved to the corporation quarry and utilised as a store for explosives. On the termination of the Great War the people of Mercer obtained possession of the turret, and used it as a base for* their War Memorial. The turret now mounted at Ngaruawahia is the one that was put ashore down the river. Its location was Russell Point, on the property of Dr. Robert Telfer Corbctt. On the death of Dr. Corbett the propertv was sold, and the turret became the 'property of Mrs Gerald Clarke, now residing in South Africa, one of Dr. Corbett's daughters. In 1925, on behalf of her sister, Mrs Scott Corbett, of Epsom, Auckland, offered to present the turret to the Auckland City Council for erection as a memorial in the Point Erin Park. The idea was enthusiastically taken up by the City Council, but owing to difficulties of transport they were compelled to abandon the project and decline the gift. Late Mr Patorson's Interest. "In July, 1922, Mr Thos. Paterson, of Ngaruawahia wrote to the Hon. Minister of Defence, drawing attention to the existence of the turret, and suggesting that steps be taken to secure its removal to Ngaruawahia, with a view lo setting it up there as a memorial of the stirring times of the Maori war. Contemporaneously the Onehunga Borough Council asked that it might be alloyed to secure the turret for erection in the Jellicoc Park at Onehunga, but difficulties of transport again prevented consideration of the request. In August, 1922,1, at the request of the residents of Ngaruawahia also took the matter up with the Minister of Defence, requesting permission for them to be allowed to secure the turret and place it on the esplanade at Ngaruawahia. App cation was also made by the Hamilton Beautifving Society for possession of the turret. Lengthy Inquiries were instituted by the Department of Internal Affairs as to its present ownership, with a view to obtaining the necessary authority to deal with it. Mrs Scott Corbett, under certain conditions as to restoration and the nature of the inscription to be placed on it, agreed to the turret being taken over by the Government. Mr E. Reynolds of Rotorua, the present owner of the property on which the turre was ocated, very kindly agreed to its removal The claims of Ngaruawahia as the main centre of military operates during deemed to be paramount to those of amilton, and shortly after securing possession the Department o Interna Sirs accordingly had thei turret "nsported lo Ngaruawahia, and handed over to the Borough Council. The subsequent work of setting the memSupin a suitable manner■*.. been undertaken by the Council. Mr Pater son kept in touch with the matter all through, and it is largely due to h nes stent energy and enthusiasm that U has be n brought to such a succcssu conclusion. Tout Worship, I have nlcasure on behalf of the Government n hiding over to the borough h turret for safe keeping. I must con Elate the Council on the excellent work it Has performed in mounting the turret."