EARLY SETTLEMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 January 1940, Page 3

EARLY SETTLEMENT

WELLINGTON ANNIVERSARY CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS. , GATHERING ON PETONE BEACH ON JANUARY 22. Monday. January 22, 1940. will see tlie dawn of the 100th anniversary of the commencement of the colonisation of New Zealand, and the scenes of { early days will be re-enacted on Petone Beach, on the spot on which they occurred. The members of the present generation will see the descendants of those selected men and women, sound physically, stalwart morally, who left their homes to found a new and better land, and witness the means by whicli they effected their ends. The assistance of the Maori will be shown by action and in words. They will hear the thunder of the cannon as the identical flag brought by Colonel William Wakefield is unfurled. They will hear the arguments used by Wakefield to induce the chiefs to part with their lands —the speeches of Wharepoure in support, and of Poukawa in opposition. They will witness the gradual breaking down of the opposition, the gathering together of the official party to hand over the purchase price of goods and hear the speeches of acceptance; witness the preparation of the food for the ceremonial feast without which no Maori ceremony was complete; see the vigorous hakas —action songs—that display the emotion of the Maoris, and their appreciation of what the white man brought them. Before the memorial is declared open a “Cavalcade of the Century" will have reached the site from the railway station, Petone; and a church service will be held under the same auspices as the first service was held. The same hymns will be sung; the Maori tribes will assemble: the official party will arrive; and the whole party will proceed together to the Recreation Ground where the formal handing-over and reception of the land purchased by the official party will be displayed by word and deed. Bands will play.

Their Excellencies Lord and Lady Galway will be present, as well as leading politicians and business men. In a place specially prepared will be exhibited articles of greatest interest. How large and interesting this exhibition will be depends solely upon the enthusiasm of those possessing these treasures. Amongst those whe, have already promised exhibits are Messrs W. D. S. Riddiford, T. Tully. W. H. Day, W. B. Allen, Mark Maxton, Jury family, McKenzie, Morris, Slinn, Percy and Pearce. There are many more who can and will loan exhibits. Exhibits will be collected, exhibited, and returned. It will be of the greatest assistance if those who intend to supply exhibits will communicate with Mr A. J. Gearing, ’phone 63 —633, or the “Hutt News,” ’phone 63 —855, as early as possible, to enable the catalogue to be prepared, printed, and circulated.