OTAKI OBELISK.

Otaki Mail, 12 March 1923, Page 4

OTAKI OBELISK.

INTERESTING HISTORY. The tall wooden obelisk standing in I a small enclosure opposite the famous 1 old Maori Church "Rangiatea " at Ota ki never fails to excite the curiosity of visitors, but, strange to say, they have difficulty in ascertaining why this unique monument was erected. As a mattor of fact, it was erected to commemorate the establishment of the Native Mission in the Otaki district, which was achieved by Bishop Hadfield in 1840. Interesting details are supplied in o booklet, '' Maoris of Bygone Days,'' j by the late Bishop Hadfield, as follows: j "A meeting of Natives interested in Church work was held at Otaki on 9th February, 1880, being the fortieth day of the year, to commemorate the estab lishment of the Mission on this coast, over forty years ago. The clergy present were, besides his Lordship the Bishop. the Rev. James M'William, of Otaki: the Rev. Rawiri tc Wanui, of Otaki; the Rev. H. to Herekau, of Manawatu; the Rev. Pineaha to Mahauriki, of Wairarapa; the Rev. Arona te liana, of Whanganui; the Rev. S. Williams, of Napier; and the Rev. R. Burrows, of Auckland, secretary to the Church Mission Society. There were about 500 j Natives present, including a number of chiefs from up the coast as far as Patea, up the Whanganui River, and Napier. Most of the visitors arrived at J Otaki on Saturday, the 7th, and. conscquently, there were large congrega- , tions at both services on Sunday.'' "The ceremony on the oth began with morning service. At the conclusion of the service the whole company inarched to where a pole, shaped like . an obelisk and surmounted by a cross, had been erected to commemorate the occasion. First, in order, went forty men dressed in white, who each on reaching the momiment deposed a large stone at its foot. The ceremony at the pole was arranged entirely by the Maoris and was conducted in a reverential manner. 'Forty men and forty women dressed in white stood near the pole. As soon as rhe stones were deposited they sang a hymn and said the 136th, 148th, and 150th Psalms, after which they sang another hymn, and one of the Maori deacons said a few pray- . crs. The leading chief's then gave ad- j dresses on the objects of the meeting. ; Then the several collectors for the Native Clergy Endowment Fund brought i what had been collected and handed it to the Rev. -T. M< William. The sum hitherto collected was found to be £o2o 10s (id, only £l2 of which had been given by Europeans. After this the whole company were invited to partake of a feast provided by the Otaki Natives and spread in the large hall at the College, and when it was over speaking was i again resumed in the large meetinghouse of the village, which had been splendidly done up for the occasion. The principal speakers were the Bishop, who contrasted the state of the Natives on his arrival here in IS3O with their present quiet, peaceful and secure condition; the Rev. S. Williams, who answered a number of objections and difficulties raised by one or two of the speakers, who had a leaning to Hauhnuism; the Rev. J. M' William, who | explained the real objects of the meetI ing. which was simply to thank God for the gifts of the Gospel to which He i had enabled them to hold fast during the 40 years past and to pray for a continuance of His Spirit for the future. Rcnata, from Napier; Mete Kingi. from j Wanganui; Taurua, from Patea, Ihaka- ; ra, from Manawatu; and several others also spoke. "On this occasion was also unveiled 1 a monument to the memory of the chief ■ Te Rauparaha, the chief who led the | tribes now inhabiting this coast from the north. Tt consists of a foundation of brick-work into which is fixed an ornamental iron railing, a base of two large masses of Melbourne bluestone dressed, n corniced pedestal of white j marble tapering shaft also of marble I and a life-sized bust of Rauparaha, tattoed and feathered with ponamu pendant at the side. The memorial pole and this monument stand within the same enclosure, and will be quite tin interesting ornament to the village, j They also represent the past and pre- j sent state of the Natives. They have been transformed in forty years from ■ savage, blood-thirsty cannibals to quiet, ; peaceful, and comparatively civilised Christians.'' This obelisk was erected to comment- ! orate the introduction of Christianity amongst tlie .Maoris in the North Island of New Zealand in the year of our Lord. IS4O.