Latest news with #WayneNgata
NZ Herald
25-04-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Tolaga Bay Anzac service honours centenary with poignant poem
And we vow that this should never happen again. Pause, repeat. Tolaga Bay Anzac Day dawn service Dr Wayne Ngata said he wanted to do something different before delivering his original and poignant poem, of which the above is an excerpt. He was speaking to one of the largest crowds a Tolaga Bay dawn service had seen in years. The community turned out in force to commemorate the centenary of the opening of the township's iconic Memorial Gates, which honour 22 fallen soldiers of World War I and about another 48 who fell in World War II. The service also featured the Battle flag of the 28th Battalion and the Tolaga Bay RSA Flag, recently recovered after going missing in 1968. After the service, the flag was taken through the Tolaga Bay Soldiers Cemetery before being officially retired to safekeeping at Tolaga Bay Area School. One of the organisers, Padre Bill Gray, told the Gisborne Herald the Tolaga Bay community had come together with a sense of duty, and to acknowledge the courage of men and women who gave their very all to serve the community. They were aware of the significance of the flag and 'are ready to bring it back home'. A unique part of the service was when Dennis Marsh sang The Bridge as service, military and marae representatives presented wreaths. Some members of the public joined in and sang the popular te reo song with Marsh. Marsh and another music legend, Brendan Dugan, were due to perform at a music showcase at Te Rawheoro Marae later in the day. Marsh said he was honoured to be asked to participate as he had relatives who had served in the forces. Among those attending was Jason Devery. He proudly held a portrait of his grandfather and 28th Battalion serviceman Erena Te Okore Maurirere. Devery said the portrait was a prized family taonga. Maurirere survived the war.
NZ Herald
23-04-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Gisborne, East Coast mark Anzac Day with dawn services and special tributes
The RSA Kapahaka roopu (formally known as Te Kapa Maumahara Ki Ngā Hōia o Tumatauenga) will acknowledge and support guest speakers with the singing of Ka Maumahara Tonu Tātou – the group's rendition of the Ode of Remembrance. Au e Ihu (The Soldier's Hymn) will be sung on completion of the Lone Piper's Lamen t. The waiata was first sung by the 28th Battalion as it departed Palmerston North on Anzac Day in 1940. The battalion sang the waiata before entering battle and when mourning fallen comrades. The Tolaga Bay service begins with a 5.30am march from the town centre to the Memorial Gates. Eight platoons will take part in the procession, featuring representatives from the New Zealand Defence Force, Police, Fire and Emergency NZ, marae and wider community groups. The 6am dawn service will include the unveiling of a new plaque. Guest speaker Dr Wayne Ngata will deliver the commemorative address. After the dawn service, attendees will make their way to the Soldiers' Plot, where two commemorative benches will be unveiled – one in honour of peacekeeping operations; the other a tribute to Ngaire Shelton for her decades of service and commitment to the Anzac kaupapa in Tolaga Bay. A special plane flyover will also take place during the ceremony. A community breakfast will follow at Reynolds Hall, where a special presentation will showcase all the names on the Memorial Gates. Each name has been matched with photos, service information, medals and records of service. At 10am, a music concert at Te Rāwheoro Marae will feature two big names in Denis Marsh and Brendon Dugan. Friday's Herald features a story on Royal New Zealand Navy World War II veteran Ken Gordon. He received a letter from King Charles III this week which thanked him for his wartime service. Gordon served on HMNZS Gambia, which represented New Zealand at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay. In the Pacific war, Gambia came under attack from the air, including on one occasion from a kamikaze aircraft. Gordon, who was part of an Oerlikon gun crew, told the New Zealand Defence Force that warfare was an experience where 'the adrenaline is really flowing. You know what to do, there's no messing about. You don't feel the fear. It's on, let's go'. Anzac Day services in Tairāwhiti include: 6am combined dawn and civic service at the Cenotaph on The Esplanade. 5.40am fall-out from outside Gisborne District Council offices to march to the cenotaph. Other services Ruatōria: 6am Dawn Service Ruatōria RSA. Tokomaru Bay: Tokomaru RSA. Tolaga Bay: 6am, Memorial Gates. Tikitiki: 6am, outside RSA. Te Araroa: 6am, outside RSA. Manutūke: Manutūkē Marae. Muriwai: Muriwai Marae. Pātūtahi: 10am, Cenotaph. Te Karaka: 11am, Cenotaph.
