Australian Ex-Servicemen In Otaki

Chronicle (Levin), 4 May 1948, Page 2

Australian Ex-Servicemen In Otaki

' Members of the Australian dele-; gation of the Returned Servicemen's League were met on arrival at Otaki yesterday by the past president of the Otaki R'.S.A., Major-General R. Young, and the secretary, Mr. C. J, McLeod, together with several returned seiv vicemen. n General Young welcomed. the visitors' who, after dining at the Telegraph Hotel, were entertained at the Raukawa marae. After a spirited Maori welcome, Mr. Utiku Hapeta, with Mr. R. Carkeek acting as interpreter, spoke in his opening remarks of the extreme pleasure it gave the Maori people to welcome and greet the Anzacs who fought side by side with the Maori Battalion on Gallipoli. The Mayor and Mayoress of Otaki, Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Atmore, the Mayor and Mayoress of Levin, Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Burdekin, the presideht of the Levin R.S.A., Mr. N. M. Thomson, and General Young were also welcomed. It gave him great pleasure tc extend a warm and cbrdial welcome to such distinguished visitors as the Anzacs, said Mr. Atmore. He trusted they would enjoy to the full the delightful entertainmenl the Maori people were to provide

He hoped the visitors would carry back with them the happiest recollections of their visit to Otaki. Mr. Carkeek, in apologlsmg for the absence of the president of the Otaki R.S.A., Mr. H. B. Edhouse, stated that it was through illness that he was unable to be present and called upon General Young to welcome the visitors on behalf of the R.S.A. This General Young ably did, recailing many stirring reminiscences of 1914-18. In rising to reply, the leader of the Anzacs, Mr. A. Dennis, was greeted with prolonged applause. He said that it gave them all great pleasure to meet and renew acquaintances with the Maori people. They had long looked forward to their visit to Otaki, as some of their members had not seen a haka since Gallipoli. He was sure that such visits would do much to cement New Zealand and Australian associations. The concert portion of the programme then took place, action songs, poi dances, hakas, solos by Miss Aroha Roiri and Mr. Henare Tahiwi and old favourites— "Maori Battalion" and "Now is the Hour" — were very ably rendered by a party of some 30 Maori boys and girls, every item being encored. The accompanists were Miss Weno Tahiwi and Mrs. J. Gray. Pleasing interludes were tne presentation to the visitors of some souvenir pois, and to Mr. Utiku Hapeta by the Anzacs an active service badge of tlie A.A.I.F. Following the final - haka, the concert was brought to a close with the singing " of the National Anthem, after which the visitors adjourned to the dining room where supper was served and impromptu entertainment and dancing indulged in. Before leaving for Levin today, they were shown the Maori Church, the Health Camp and other places of interest. The personnel of the delegatiob is as follows: — Messrs. F. Doyle, W F. Cullen, H. . R. Gllman, A. M Morgan, S. A. Masterton, R. A Dunbier and J. E. Reeves (Hev South Wales) ; A. L. Hullett and V J. Hooper (West Australia) ; A Dennis (Queensland) and 0P Tavenor (Victoria). They were accompanied by the president - oi the Paraparaumu R.S.A., Mr. B Eatwell, and Messrs,- Henare Tahiwi, G. Campbell and D. Gunn of the Wellington R.S.A.