50th wedding anniversary for Sir James and Lady Henare

Tu Tangata, Issue 15, 1 December 1983, Page 28

50th wedding anniversary for Sir James and Lady Henare

by Te Paki Hone Te Aho CHERRINGTON Photographs: Len DOEL

The Otiria Marae, Moerewa was the venue for the 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebrations for Sir James and Lady Rose Henare.

Hundreds of relatives and friends from all over New Zealand were in attendance. Distinguished quests included Mr Ben Couch, Minister of Maori Affairs, Sir Graham Latimer, Chairman of the New Zealand Maori Council, Dr Bruce Gregory, M.P. for Northern Maori, John Rangihau of Tuhoe, Mr Hiwi Tauroa, Race Relations Conciliator, and Mr Neil, M.P. for Bay of Islands.

The weekend was notable for the many people who visited Otiria to give their best wishes and then carried on to other huis in the North being held on the same weekend, in particular, the opening of a marae at Panguru and the Maori Art Exhibition at Whangarei.

Members of the New Zealand Maori Artists and Writers Society went to Otiria from Whangarei after the opening of the Art Exhibition. They took with them as a taonga for Sir James and Lady Rose, a work by Sandy Adsett. Arnold Wilson spoke for the Artists and

Writers and the taonga was carried on to the marae and presented by members Te Paki Cherrington and Raymond Tau Henare.

Sir James and Lady Rose (nee Cherringtonj were married in the Porowini at Otiria on the 2 August 1933. They were married by the late Canon Wiremu Cherrington, an uncle of Lady Rose.

Sir James spoke of his betrothal to Lady Rose and the 100 people from both families in attendance at the traditional tomo. He spoke of his career in the army and the political world. He completed his comments by paying tribute to his wife and read a poem he had just finished writing titled “A Knight and his Rose”.