Air Force Memorials Not Bricks And Mortar

Chronicle (Levin), 26 February 1949, Page 2

Air Force Memorials Not Bricks And Mortar

WELLINGTON, Feb. 25. | Tlie moxiey raised by tlie Air Force ^ Association through its "Aliss New Zea- j land Quest " is to be used as tlie nucleus of a fund for providing suitable memorials to_ Air Force men who gave their lives during two world wars, but exactly -\vliat form those memorials will take has not yet been decided. Tliis was'stated today by Mr. A. J. Manson, ciiainuau of the board of the quest. He said the Air Foree Association at its reeent annual conferencc at. Nelson decided Jo go ahead and establish a memorial fund first, after which decisions would be made as to the form of the memorials. ' ' Tliese decisions will no doubt dePeil(i upon circumstances in each town where the Air Force Association has an activ.e b-am'h. but sneaking for myself I hokt the defmite opinion tliat the memorials shall not be just brick and mortar monumeuts. ' ' Mr. Manson said he and others in the association envisaged the provision of Air Force Association centres which would be used to assist the important work of the TerritorialvAir Force "whieii the association was actively supporting. Such buildings would also serve meeting places for active reservists of the R.N.Z.A.F. and for serving members. "The best possible memorial to those who fell in the war is to ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain, and w'e can help to do that by encouraging the present Air Force activities," said Mr. Manson.

Valuabie Additions To Domimon Archives (Per Press Association) wimijlAui'UiN, i'eu. 25. Two interestihg and valuabie historical doeuiuents — tne ietters pateuL oi Uieuteuaut-Governor Edward John Eyre — nave reoeutiy couie tnto the possession of the New Zealand Government. iieavily seaied _ and ehioOoseu and cleariy handwritten tliey bear the signature both of Queen Victona and of Larl Grey, Secretary of btate for War and liie olonies. The documents are dated Windsor Castle, Deceinber 23, ldld. T'he two .documents were accepted tor presentation to the Government uy Mr. W. Hulli vau, M.P., while recentiy overseas as a inember of the New Zealand Parliamentary delegation to the United Kingdom. They were presented to nim by a grandson of Lieutenant:Governor Eyre, Lieut.-Uolonel A. Jti. C. Gordon, M.P., of Killyleagh, Northem Ireiand. Tii acknowledging receipt of the gifts the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) said they were a valuabie addition to New I Zealand 's historicai archives. The documents, he said, related to a very mteresting period in the constitutional development of the Dominion. Under the 'Constitution Act 1816 dividing New Zealand into two provinces, New Uister and New Munster, a governot-in-chiet, two governors and two lieutenant-gov-ernors (one for eaeh proviuce) were to be appointed. Governor Grey was to act as governor-in-chief as well as governor of each of the provincesj whiie Edward John Eyre was to be lieuteuantgovernor of both provinces. The-. Ietters patent now in the possession of the Government are the documents appomting hira to these two positions. t Those interested in New Zealand's early history knew that the Constitution Act of 1846 was never reaily operated, said Mr. Fraser. Governor Grey's proposal for oue governor and a separate lieutenant-governor for each

province was accepted, and Mr. Eyre, who left England in the packet Glentanner in February 1847, was appointed lieutenant-governor of New Munster only in August of the sanie year. Other interes'ting documents also presented by Mr. Gordon were some ot Eyre's notes to his Colonial Secretary, Alfred Domett, iater in 1862 to become Prime Minister of New Zealand. These contain a wealth of material which will shortly be made available. ,One note, for instanee, refers to an instruci ' 9 tion to his then Native Becrctary to proceed on horseback to Wairarapa and purchase the whole area. | Edward John Eyre is also weliknown for his work of exploration in the Australian Continent for which he 1 received in 1843 the Founder's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society. I Lake Eyre in South Australia is named I after hhn. He was born in Yorkshire 'in.1815, and sailed for Australia when 1/ years of age. Following several exI ploration expeditions he was appointed ' resident niagistrate on the Murray j River and Protedtor of Aborigines, and ' this provided his first contact with Sir George Grey whose good opinion he gained. Eyre returned to England in 1845 aceompanied by two blacks with whom | he was introduced to Queen Vic'toria. j His New*Zealand appointment followed next year. In 1850 he married at I Auckland Adelaide Fanny, daughter of Captain Ormond, R.N. He reliiiquished his position of lieutenant-governor in j 1853 on the inauguration of the New Zealand Constitution and returned to England. Other posts he subsequentlv held were those of Governor of St. Vincent, Acting Governor-in-Chief of the J Leeward Islands, and Governor of Jamaiea. He died in 1901.-