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Otago Daily Times
26-04-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
The price of citizenship
Anzac Day. Although it was originally established as a public holiday to commemorate the deeds of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) during World War 1, it has become a day of remembrance for all those who served and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. On the war front and at home. Many of us are fortunate to share whakapapa with these people; including my maternal Pākehā grandfather, Private John Bruce Perriam (Artillery, Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force) and my paternal Māori grandfather, Private Mount Paringatai (C Company, 28th Māori Battalion). They are two, among a whole list of relatives, to whom I pay homage every Anzac Day. But I think about them every day. On November 7, 2024, the Last Post bugle call resounded throughout the country as the final remaining soldier of the 28th Māori Battalion, Sir Robert ''Bom'' Gillies, joined the rest of his comrades in eternal rest. His passing is of significance to Aotearoa as he was the last physical reminder of the price of citizenship Māori paid by participating in World War 2. According to ''Koro Bom'', war was a terrible waste of life, even more so when the value of sacrifice made by our Māori men was not recognised on par with those of Pākehā. Article Three of Te Tiriti o Waitangi reads: ''the Queen of England will protect all the ordinary people of New Zealand and will give them the same rights and duties of citizenship as the people of England'' (widely agreed translation of the Māori text). Sir Apirana Ngata was of the view that this meant that Māori had an obligation to enlist to support Britain in World War 2. That it was our duty to do so was based on an agreement that our tīpuna had signed 100 years earlier. We heeded the call of our esteemed leader. More than 3600 men served with the Māori Battalion, 649 were killed, 1712 wounded and 267 taken prisoner. This number of casualties was almost 50% more than the New Zealand average. They more than paid for the price of our citizenship. Not that anyone gave them a receipt. There is no doubt that the impact of war on all soldiers and their families is not one that is peculiar to Māori. Anxiety, depression, nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance resulting in disturbing behaviour and habitual addictions does not know gender, race or culture. However, the way the government went about celebrating and compensating those who returned home was not of an equal standard. While many Pākehā soldiers were given parcels of land to begin farming, to develop a strong economic base, it was assumed that all Māori soldiers had access to tribal lands on which to do so. That was not the case. In fact, in some cases, Māori soldiers had had their land seized while they were overseas because of unpaid local council rates, while tracts of land destined for Māori soldiers were so vehemently opposed by local Pākehā, the government had no choice but to renege on their deal. Additionally, while all returning soldiers were eligible for war pensions from the government, Māori soldiers were paid less. The price of citizenship was comparable to the price whānau paid. Koro Bom's passing also elicits memories of the men who many of us never got to meet. Their existence is resigned to the annals of history, their names forever immortalised on the memorial boards that hang on the walls of nearly every marae and community hall in all Māori settlements throughout the country. Pāpā Mount was one of five Paringatai boys who enlisted. Two sets of cousins belonging to two brothers: my great-grandfather and his older brother. Only two of them returned home. We continually lament the opportunities lost of never being in their presence, of never hearing their voices, of never feeling their hugs, of never rolling our eyes at their lame jokes. Koro Bom's death challenges descendants of the 28th Māori Battalion to think about how we keep not just their memories alive but also to remember the injustices they faced. How do we continue to speak their exploits as each generation passes? Or will they become nameless faces that sit in frames we dust off once a year? I decided to be more deliberate than that. My daughter's name is Manuhou. She is named after Pāpā Mount's first cousin, Manuhou Snr, who was killed in action on December 16, 1941 and is buried in Libya. His wife died in childbirth and when he enlisted in the army his two children were sent to be raised by their mother's people in Te Whānau-a-Apanui. His son, Manuhou Jr, eventually ended up in Dunedin with his whānau, where our paths crossed more than 25 years ago. And they continue to cross on a regular basis. There are very few people in Horoera (the home of the Paringatai whānau) who remember Manuhou Snr, or Manuhou Jr. But through our Manuhou they will. And our Manuhou (and her brother) will learn all about the five Paringatai boys who gave their lives to save ours. E pari rā ngā tai ki te ākauThe tides surge on to the seashoreE hotu nei ko taku manawaAs my heart sobsAuē! Me tangi noa ahau i muri neiI lament without restraintTe iwi e, he ngākau tangi noa Everyone is heart broken
Scoop
25-04-2025
- General
- Scoop
Why This Rural Town Expects A ‘Big Crowd' At Its Special Anzac Day Service
Hundreds of people are expected to attend a Reporoa Anzac Day service where a photo wall unveiling will celebrate returned servicemen settler families. Alan Wills was among the small group of locals who for the past 18 months researched and worked on a photographic memorial wall for the community near Rotorua. The 230 frames celebrate returned servicemen who settled in the area following both world wars, the Korean and Vietnam wars. This year marks 80 years since World War II ended. Wills said the Reporoa Memorial Hall closed about 18 months ago for repair works. The plan was for the hall to be accessible on Anzac Day and in the days before so the wall could be arranged. Among those being remembered was Reporoa's Private Henare Reweti, killed at the age of 29 in Crete, Greece, in May 1941. He was in B Company of the 28th Māori Battalion. Wills said a big crowd of between 500 and 600 people was expected. The crowd would include people from Australia and around New Zealand, as well as residents and the families of those framed. Wills described the post-war Reporoa population boom as he explained the significance of the unveiling. After both world wars, an influx of families ventured into farming and in the 1950s and early 1960s, 170 families moved to the Reporoa area. Wills said they laid the foundation stones for the current community. "They'd be amazed at the development of the area." Industry had grown in the area, Wills said. So had the number of sealed roads, and there was good schooling. Mataarae Marae will host a 9am service held at Mataarae Marae today. At 9.45am a march will proceed from the Reporoa Primary School to the hall, where the service including the unveiling will begin at 10.15am. A book including the photos and information of each serviceman and woman will be available for purchase. A set of new blinds will hang above the frames in the hall to help viewers beat the glare from the north-facing windows above, thanks to a Rotorua Lakes Council Rural Community Board decision. Monday's board decision was to allocate $4358 of devolved funding for the purchase and installation of the blinds. Other funding decisions at the meeting included reallocating $5000 for commercial heat pumps at the Reporoa hall, where repairs are incomplete, to the Mamaku War Memorial Hall. This would be used as needed if the cost went above the $14,240 already allocated and the $6242 it added to be allocated from its 2025/2026 budget. A decision on funding heat pumps at the Reporoa hall would be made at a later date.
NZ Herald
25-04-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Northland RSAs report huge turnouts at region's Anzac Day services 2025
And, Towgood said, the following 10am service in Maunu was the biggest he had ever seen there. He believed the enthusiasm and desire of young people to know about Anzac as part of their history was a major driving force in increased attendances at the annual commemorative services. Towgood also pointed to initiatives such as a leadership academy in Whangārei based on the values of the 28th Māori Battalion as further impetus for the growing interest in continuing the Anzac spirit. The military-style Leadership Academy of A Company, which is hosted by Whangārei kura Te Kāpehu Whetū, takes about 20 boys a year and provides extra support and training in leadership and tikanga Māori alongside their normal studies. The Whangārei dawn service was attended by people of all nationalities and from all walks of life. Several people attended in wheelchairs and on mobility scooters. Others arrived with babies in prams while some brought their beloved pet dogs. There was a solemn silence throughout the service, which began with a police escorted parade led by Northland Caledonian Pipe Band. Marching behind them were representatives for veterans, NZ Defence Force, NZ Police, NZ Cadet Forces, Fire and Emergency NZ, Hato Hone St John, and the Leadership Academy of A Company. The crowd listened intently as various dignitaries gave addresses and laid wreaths beneath the cenotaph, which was flanked by the flags of New Zealand, Australia, the UK, RNZN, RNZAF, and Merchant Mariners. Daylight only began to break near the end of the service as school students and young people from service groups were invited to lay their floral tributes alongside wreaths already there. Other than a few isolated spots of rain, there was no sign in Whangārei of the downpours forecast to pelt the region tomorrow. Nonetheless, many among the crowd were at the ready, rugged up in warm coats and carrying umbrellas. Kerikeri Returned Services Association president Bill Godfrey said a large crowd had also gathered there, possibly up to 500 people and noticeably more than last year. Godfrey put the increased attendance down to the 'excellent work' of students from Kerikeri High and Spring Bank schools, who he said had run the event for the past few years, the RSA stepping back to a supervisory role. He said the event in Kerikeri consciously relied on students as speechmakers, rather than politicians. This year, a student gave a captivating account of her grandparents' life in the Channel Islands during the German Occupation, Godfrey said. Northland RSA president Colin Kitchen said there had also been a strong public presence at this morning's dawn service in Kaitaia, despite inclement weather that could have kept people away. Fortunately, the rain held off long enough that the service did not need to move indoors. Kitchen said this morning's commemoration was preceded by another important RSA event last night - a celebratory dinner to mark the 100th year of the Whangaroa RSA.
NZ Herald
24-04-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Thousands attend Anzac Day services across Hawke's Bay
MacLeod spoke to the crowd of around 1000 about the time he spent with Bom, saying Bom treated him like a 'mokopuna and a friend'. 'In 1988, at the Māori Battalion reunion which was held here, this car park was full of veterans, and then we lost the last one last year,' MacLeod said. MacLeod was also wearing his great-great-grandfather's medals and his late grandfather's Māori Battalion jersey - which he said was 'an incredible honour'. At the end of his speech MacLeod sang 'Buonanotte Mi Amore', an Italian song that MacLeod said was one of the many favourites of the 28th Māori Battalion, which translates to 'Goodnight My Sweetheart'. Among the crowd was Steve Kendall, who spent 40 years with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, serving across all Air Force bases in New Zealand. 'It's pretty special to be here,' he said. 'Anzac Day will just go on and on, it will get bigger and bigger. 'More and more people get involved now that the world is not at peace, that's the bottom line.' In Napier, well over 1000 people turned out for the dawn service at the Sound Shell. Royal NZ Air Force warrant officer Darryn Wells spoke to the crowd, reflecting on the sacrifice of servicemen and servicewomen in WWII. He said as news of the cruelty of Nazi concentration camps reached New Zealand at the end of the war, that 'confirmed for New Zealanders that the war that had been forced upon them in 1939 had indeed been a just struggle against evil'. He encouraged people to continue to honour those who fought in the war. 'When we leave here today, we might like to consider what we individuals and as a country can do to continue to uphold the rule of law, freedom and basic human rights. 'In doing this we can continue to honour in a powerful way the memory of those servicemen and women who came before us and sacrificed so much for our nation and our values.' Guest speaker Joseph Pedler echoed that sentiment during the service. 'The significance of Anzac Day extends far beyond reflection of the past, it is a reminder to draw strength from the lessons of those who have gone before us,' he said. 'The Anzac spirit - born of hardship and forged in battle - continues to resonate within every Australian and New Zealander. 'It is a spirit of unity, courage and a duty to our countries, it binds us together and inspires us to face challenges both big and small with the same determination and resilience. 'In our communities, the Anzac spirit is reflected in the way we care for one another - extend kindness and stand together in times of need.' Master of Ceremonies Charles Ropitini, who helped organise the Hastings dawn service, said his focus was to ensure that everybody had a good personal moment.
NZ Herald
24-04-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Anzac Day in Reporoa to feature unveiling of settler families' photo wall
Wills said the Reporoa Memorial Hall closed about 18 months ago for repair works. The plan was for the hall to be accessible on Anzac Day and in the days before so the wall could be arranged. Among those remembered was Reporoa's Private Henare Reweti, killed aged 29 in Crete, Greece, in May 1941. He was in B Company of the 28th Māori Battalion. Wills said a big crowd between 500 and 600 people were expected. The crowd would include people from Australia and around New Zealand, as well as locals and the families of those framed. Wills described the post-war Reporoa population boom as he explained the significance of the unveiling. After both world wars, an influx of families ventured into farming and in the 1950s and early 1960s, 170 families moved to the Reporoa area. Wills said they laid the foundation stones for the current community. 'They'd be amazed at the development of the area.' Industry had grown in the area, Wills said. So had the number of sealed roads, and there was good schooling. Mataarae Marae will host a 9am service held at Mataarae Marae today. At 9.45am a march will proceed from the Reporoa Primary School to the hall, where the service including the unveiling will begin at 10.15am. A book including the photos and information of each serviceman and woman will be available for purchase. A set of new blinds will hang above the frames in the hall to help viewers beat the glare from the north-facing windows above, thanks to a Rotorua Lakes Council Rural Community Board decision. Monday's board decision was to allocate $4358 of devolved funding for the purchase and installation of the blinds. Other funding decisions at the meeting included reallocating $5000 for commercial heat pumps at the Reporoa hall, where repairs are incomplete, to the Mamaku War Memorial Hall. This would be used as needed if the cost went above the $14,240 already allocated and the $6242 it added to be allocated from its 2025/2026 budget. A decision on funding heat pumps at the Reporoa hall would be made at a later date.
