League Meets at Wanganui

Te Ao Hou, September 1962, Page 8

Some of the audience listening to a lively argument during a panel discussion on education. League Meets at Wanganui Mr Hunn looks as though he is doing an action song here—but he is addressing delegates on the opening night, The tenth annual Dominion Conference of the New Zealand Maori Women's Welfare League was held at Wanganui from 16–19 July, with about 400 delegates and observers attending from all over New Zealand. The host for the conference was the Wainui-a-rua District Council of the League, embracing the town of Wanganui and the river area up to Pipiriki. Meetings took place in the Concert Chamber of Wanganui's beautiful new War Memorial Hall, and this proved ideal for the purpose. On the afternoon of the 16th, many delegates visited Putiki Pa to pay their respects to the memory of Mr Tenga Takarangi, the highly respected Putiki elder who died recently. That evening the conference was officially opened by the Minister of Maori Affairs, Mr J. R. Hanana. There were many other distinguished speakers at this ceremony, which was followed by entertainment by the Putiki, St Vincent's and Ratana Maori Clubs. Some of the major topics discussed at the conference were education (there were two lively panel discussions on this), housing requirements, prisoner rehabilitation, handicraft schemes, and the domestic aspects of the finances and membership of the League. On the final night a ball was held in the main hall, and debutantes were presented to the Dominion President, Mrs M. Hirini. This was a very happy affair, with a large attendance.

Mrs Rangi Williams (left) and Mrs Arihia Patini, in an action song by the Wainui-a-rua District Council during the Wanganui M.W.W.L. meeting. Work will begin this month on the £25,000–£30,000 national memorial to the Maori Battalion in Palmerston North. Money for the project is being raised by the Maori people throughout New Zealand and by carnivals and special contributions in the Manawatu district. The memorial will be a two-storey building to serve as a community centre in Palmerston North for both Maori and Pakeha. It will be built by the Raukawa Tribal Executive and will probably take about six months to complete. The expected completion date could well coincide with the reunion of the 28th Maori Battalion. It was from Palmerston North that the battalion left for service overseas and it was this that prompted the Raukawa Tribal Executive to consider a memorial even as far back as the days of the Second World War. The design of the building will be a striking blend of modern and traditional; the architect, who is Maori, is Mr John Scott of Hastings. The tribal executive has raised sufficient funds to get the building started and tenders are now being called.