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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Statue to honour local war hero
An Oamaru war hero killed at the Battle of the Somme may finally take pride and place in his hometown. The New Zealand Remembrance Army (NZRA) plan to honour Victoria Cross recipient, Sergeant Donald Forrester Brown with a life-size bronze statue. Sgt Brown was the first VC recipient for heroism on the Western Front, and the only man from North Otago to be honoured out of 23 New Zealand VC medal winners. New Zealand Remembrance Army member Barry Gamble, who initiated the project, said the plan to build a statute of Sgt Brown was to pay tribute to a local and national hero. "It's all about recognition, honouring this man, who is a true blue Kiwi farmer, who spent most of his short life working the land and then bravely fought for his country." On the opening day of New Zealand's Somme campaign in France, on September 15, 1916, Brown charged and captured key enemy machine-gun positions, helping New Zealand forces to push through German lines. During another attack two weeks later, on the Somme front, Brown told his men to take cover and took two trenches on by himself, chasing the enemy down before he was killed by machine-gun fire at the age of 26, Mr Gamble said. The 1916 Somme offensive was one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the First World War (1914-18). The posthumous VC award for gallantry was presented to his father, Robert Brown in Oamaru by the Governor-General, Lord Liverpool in 1917. Mr Gamble said the statue would provide educational, cultural and commemorative value to the Oamaru community and visitors and preserve Sgt Brown's legacy for generations to come. "All the other towns have honoured their Victoria Cross winners with statues and paintings, why not Oamaru ... it's something that we can be really proud of." A former student of Waitaki Boys' High School and a Totara farmer, Sgt Brown was born in 1890 in Dunedin and moved to Oamaru with his family in the mid 1890s, where his father set up a successful drapery business and department store which was eventually named the Polytechnic. Making early sacrifices to enlist with the army, Brown sold his farm on Waiareka Rd in Totara, and gave away his dog, and his horse "and away he went", Mr Gamble said. Your Loving Son, Don, a book of letters he wrote home to his father from the war, was published in 1998 by Sgt Brown's niece Eunice P. Brown. In April, 1916 while stationed in Egypt he wrote about the comfort of his fellow soldiers from the Otago Infantry Regiment in the 10th North Otago Company and their plan to return home. "Its just great the number of Oamaru boys one finds here, and one and all are certain, old Oamaru is quite good enough for us in future." Mr Gamble said despite a photo of Sgt Brown in the Waitaki District Council chambers and his name on the honours board at Waitaki Boys' High School he had "largely been forgotten by Oamaru". "It's quite sad because we've got a proud heritage of buildings, and we've got some of the best memorial statues in the country, like the Hall of Memories." Mr Gamble has driven many projects to honour soldiers, including helping to restore the graves of former military personnel in the Waitaki district. He is also the Oamaru RSA local support adviser. The costing for the monument would be about $160,000, he said. Bob Brown, of Rakaia, the great-nephew of the war hero, was thrilled to be involved and donated $10,000 towards the project, Mr Gamble said. "They were really, really stoked that someone was wanting to do this and they're right behind me." Former New Zealand Army artist Matt Gauldie will be commissioned to create the statue. Gauldie produced a miniature paying close attention to details, at $2000 for the purposes of fundraising. "He's very clever ... a lot of work has gone into this to make sure that he's got all the right war equipment on," Mr Gamble said. NZRA put $1500 towards the concept plan and the Waitaki District Council are in support of the project, he said. Mr Gamble said they estimated the project would take a year and a half to complete and he will be seeking donations from the public and organisations. A final site for the public statue is yet to be determined. The Victoria Cross is the highest award in the British decorations system and is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British and Commonwealth armed services.
Otago Daily Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Sri Lanka trip ‘awesome experience'
Former WBHS pupil Ben Sinnamon (second left) with New Zealand Under 85kg team player Josh Gellert (left), fellow coach Will Henry (a former North Otago player) and Simon Sia. PHOTO: JOHNNY HENDRIKUS / NEW ZEALAND RUGBY From Oamaru to Auckland and as far away as Sri Lanka — rugby has taken Ben Sinnamon across the globe. The former Waitaki Boys' High School head boy has made a name for himself in the coaching ranks. He recently returned home from Sri Lanka where he was an assistant coach for the New Zealand Under-85kg team. While Sri Lanka is not known as a rugby-mad country, Sinnamon said the locals got right behind both games. "It was an awesome experience. They're such friendly people and they're really trying to grow the game of rugby over there. "We really didn't appreciate how much they love rugby in Sri Lanka until we arrived. "We certainly felt their love and their connection to the game and I think we had crowds of about 25,000 people at both our matches so it was a really cool experience." Their first match in Kandy was particularly special, he said. "The ground was almost like a cauldron effect. The crowd was really close and really noisy. "It was just one of those moments that make the hair stand up on your neck, just the noise and the atmosphere and the positivity of the place — I'll never forget that. "It sort of took me back to the old school days in New Zealand when the crowds were allowed to storm the field and the crowd was really close to the action." Sinnamon hoped the tour could spur even more growth in under-85kg rugby. "It's an established grade but it's one that's growing pretty fast. It's really an opportunity for players that might not have continued playing rugby after their 20s or after high school. "It's a different brand of rugby, as well. It's faster, it's obviously lightweight but it promotes free, flowing rugby and I think it was on display in Sri Lanka." He enjoyed getting out into the community as they ran coaching clinics for local players and coaches. Sinnamon was also announced as Auckland Storm head coach for this year's Farah Palmer Cup after serving as an assistant last season. "It's a campaign I'm really looking forward to, diving into. We've got a big challenge ahead, but it'll be cool." Their squad will be on the younger side as Black Ferns players are unavailable due to the Rugby World Cup, but Sinnamon said it would still be an exciting and talented group. He got his start coaching, coincidentally, in the under-85kg grade for the Ponsonby Rugby Club. "I've really enjoyed coaching; I found it was a way to stay in touch with the game after hanging up the boots myself." He has been in Auckland for 11 years. He and his wife have three children. Both his parents and some of his extended family live in Waitaki. "We definitely see ourselves moving down south at some point, but for now we're pretty entrenched in Auckland. "It's amazing how quick time flies. I didn't anticipate ever calling myself an Aucklander, but I'd better watch out."
Otago Daily Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Waitaki Boys' not willing to commit to breakaway SI schools' competition
Darryl Paterson. PHOTO: ODT FILES A proposed South Island First XV breakaway competition could have one less team. Waitaki Boys' High School rector Darryl Paterson said yesterday the school had opted out of joining the competition in 2026 at this stage but would revisit its stance once it knew more. "Our reasons for opting out are around how we would resource our involvement both financially and with respect to player depth. "As the smallest school in the organisation — we currently only have four rugby teams — we are also realistic about our playing depth, especially in the future. "From our Waitaki perspective we also have concerns about boys having to potentially focus on only one sport and additional time they may need to be out of class." When asked if he thought the new competition could leave the other co-education schools behind, Mr Paterson said he understood their apprehension "about boys potentially moving to one of the bigger all-boys schools for rugby". "You could argue, on the other hand, that a Highlanders competition without the big boys' schools would be a very even competition." He said a breakaway competition would not have an effect on the annual Blood Match interschool fixture against St Kevin's College. Mr Paterson echoed King's High School rector Nick McIvor's comments earlier this week that the competition was not just about rugby. "The group are also committed to raising the standards of boys' education through joint professional development, sharing best practice etc and we are fully committed to this. "We are looking to host a principals' conference in term 1 next year." The proposal is that the breakaway competition would start in 2026, but Mr Paterson said there was still "a lot of clarity needed". "The group are currently doing some scoping around costs, sponsorship etc and when we have a clearer idea of the actual costs, we will revisit our current position."
Otago Daily Times
10-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Family reunited in graveside ceremony
A fitting tribute reunited a well-known scout leader and former Oamaru Mail worker with his departed grandfather and missing father. The family of Oamaru-born Owen James Rodgers travelled from Wellington to bury his ashes following a short graveside committal service. Mr Rodgers, who attended Oamaru North School and Waitaki Boys' High School, died in Wellington on December 13, 2020. Last month, his ashes were buried at Oamaru Old Cemetery in the grave of his grandfather, James Herbert Rodgers. Speaking to the Oamaru Mail, his son, Peter, said it had been his father's wish to be returned to Oamaru, where he began his long association with the scouting movement. He was a life member of the Scout Association of New Zealand. "He was a scout leader for a while and then he became what's called a field commissioner. So he had the whole of the South Island in his area. "He was also executive officer publications for the Scout Association and general editor and he also edited the monthly newspaper. "He wrote a centenary history called Scouting in New Zealand, Adventure Unlimited: Looking at 100 years of the Scout Movement in New Zealand, published in 2012. He was working on the second volume when he died." He said his father had a long association with Oamaru and the community, being very involved with St Paul's Presbyterian Church, where he was previously a bible class leader, caretaker, manager and elder. He also had a long career with the Oamaru Mail. "He was really attached to the town. That's where he was born. He was involved in scouts basically all his life, because even when he retired from that full-time job in scouts, he carried on doing other things, like he was involved in the reunions for the World Scout Jamboree of 1947, which he attended. "I think the last time I was in Oamaru was probably nearly 20 years ago. So, it was interesting to go back and it was good to fulfil his wishes. The burial of his father's ashes was particularly fitting, given the headstone was also a memorial for Owen's father, who disappeared without a trace after going for a walk one day when Owen was just 8. Owen Rodgers was 90, and the son of Peter James Rodgers and Elizabeth Beryl Parlane. He was married to Margaret Irvine Cook and is survived by three children: Peter, Andrew and Mark.
