SAW REWI FIGHT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 468, 25 September 1928, Page 18

SAW REWI FIGHT

PIONEER REPORTER OF WAIKATO WARS MR. C. WILLIAMSON DEAD War correspondent in the Waikato wars and one of the pioneer journalists of this country, Mr. Charles Williamson, who died at Takapuna to-day, was an authority on the history of those troublous times. H© would have been 92 years of age in November. Trained to the printing trade and to journalism in England Mr. Williamson arrived in Auckland by the ship Robert Blair in 1861, under engagement to Mr. William Brown, a member of the Auckland firm of Brown and Campbell, the precursors of the Camp-bell-Ehrenfriend company. He was to act as reader, compositor and reporter on the “Southern Cross” newspaper. OFF TO THE WAR The village of Auckland was quiet when Mr. Williamson landed here after a four months’ voyage and began his work. But in 1863 the native troubles developed into the Waikato War, and the young reporter found himself a war correspondent with the British troops under General Cameron. \ The battle of Rangiriri was being fought when Mr. Williamson reached Mercer (then Point Russell), and he followed the advance from there to Hamilton, watching the isolated redoubts being captured.

At the battle of Ranglaohia, where General Nixon was killed, Mr. Williamson carried out a journalistic “scoop,” getting his account of the battle into print a few days ahead of his rivals. He was at the capture of Orakau, where the famous declaration of “Ake, Ake Ake” was made by Maoris under Rewi Maniapoto, and then he went to Tauranga, reporting the fighting at Te Ranga, an engagement just after the British defeat at Gate Pa. TO PARLIAMENT The war clouds lifting, Mr. Williamson went to the first session of Parliament at Wellington in 1865, as Parliamentary reporter for the “Southern Cross.” Mr. Stafford was thdn Premier. Mr. Williamson became manager of the “Southern Cross” and retained that position when Sir Julius Vogel, then Premier of the colony purchased the newspaper to represent his policy in Auckland. He remained in sole command of the paper’s destiny during the long absences from New Zealand of Sir Julius, who was floating loans for railways and public works. When the newspaper was taken over by a limited liability company, Mr. Williamson was still manager, Mr. Warwick Weston being managing director. With Mr. G. M. Reed, father of Mr. Justice Reed, and the Hon. Vernon Reed, M.L.C., Mr. Williamson helped to start “The Auckland Star.” The late Mr. Williamson left a family of four sons and two daughters. They are Messrs. C. R. Williamson and F. H. Williamson, of Auckland, Mrs. Warren Blyth, now in Vancouver 8.C., Mrs. H. Matthewman, of Takapuna, Mr. J. W. Williamson, Mayor of Takapuna, and Mr. A. B. Williamson, of Vancouver B.C.