MARRIED 50 YEARS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20505, 23 May 1938, Page 4

MARRIED 50 YEARS

MR AND MRS G. W. MAYES MEMORIES OF EARLY HAMILTON TE KOOTI’S CAPTURE RECALLED A member of the Auckland Naval Artillery, which in 1883 aided the Government in bringing to bay near Ohixva the notorious Maori rebel, Te Kooti, Mr G. W. Mayes, of 85 Commerce Street, Frankton, to-day related the story of the chief's capture to a Waikato Times representative. Mr and Mrs Mayes to-day celebrate the golden anniversary of their wedding, and a family gathering is taking place at their home. In 1883 the artillery was sent to Opotiki to assist the police in the capture of Te Kooti, said Mr Mayes. The rebel was in hiding there after being at liberty off and on for 15 years, which time had elapsed since his dar-

ing escape from the Chatham Islands. He and his Hau Hau followers had carried on a guerilla warfare with the white troops, disappearing from seemingly impossible positions and defying the most highly trained of New Zealand officers. Te Kooti had made a murderous onslaught on the settlers of the Poverty Bay district early in his famous career, tried to depose the Maori King, and in the end, when he was practically exhausted through old age and the lack of military requirements, he was captured and later pardoned.

Beginning of the Bearoh

"We left Auckland for Opotiki one morning and upon reaching Ohlwa were forced to walk 16 miles along the beach as we were afraid the boat would not successfully cross the bar,” said Mr Mayes In describing the setting out of the expedition In searoh of Te Kooti. “At the end of the march we pitched camp and at 4 o’clock next morning fell in and marched out towards the Urewera Country. Upon reaching the edge of the bush we discovered that the chief had returned to Ohiwa. The next morning we again turned out at 4 o’clock and were served with an extra 40 rounds of ammunition. We returned to Ohiwa and there arrested Te Kooti while he was taking refuge in an orchard. The ohief was taken to Opotiki for trial and was remanded to Auckland, where he was pardoned on the condition that he settled down and farmed the 600 acres of land presented to him by the Government.”

Although this episode took place some years after the Maori wars, Mr Mayes was in New Zealand when the hostilities were still raging. He was born in Geelong, near Melbourne, and came to New Zealand with his parents 73 years ago, his father being one of the Fourth Waikatos who were despatched to Hamilton In 1864. Mr Mayes, who was a child at that time, had no recollection of the early years of the militia’s activities. Early Days In Hamilton For about five years Mr Mayes served his time as a coachbullder with the late Mr Slade. When he was 14 he was carrying mails on horseback to Alexandria (now called Pirongla), Te Awamutu and Ohaupo. There were no roads in the district, rough tracks being the only means of acoess, while \he rivers were unbridged and it was necessary to swim the horse aoross. The Waikato at that time was but sparsely populated and the Maoris were still hostile to the Europeans striving to settle the land. Mr Mayes was about 19 when he left Hamilton and went to Auckland. There he obtained employment with the coachbuilding firm of Gee and Potter. While in Auokland he was (Sr seven years a member of the fire brigade, and when interviewed he described the early methods of firefighting employed. When he first joined, the reel was carried on foot, anrl aftpr a time a horse-drawn engine was obtained. It was here, too, that he linked up with the Naval Artillery. In 1888 Mr Mayes was married in Auckland to Miss Alexandria Mcßae, the ceremony being performed by the late Archdeacon William Calder in All Saints’ Church, Ponsonby. Later Mr and Mrs Mayes went to live in Paeroa and then in Rotorua. They came to Hamilton in 1900, and some 14 years ago made their home in Wellington before rpturning to Hamilton, where they have lived for the pa-s*t seven yenrs. Born in Ilossliire. rootlsnd. in 1863. Mrs Moves eome to New Zealand with her parents in 1865. her father, the late Mr Murdoch Mcßae, being one or the pioneer settlers at Whangarei Heads. There she lived for a number Of years before coin* to Auckland. Rugby in Auckland During ttio time he has lived in Hamilton ami Auckland Mr Mayes has taken a keen interest in sport, par ticularly cricket and football. lie played Rugby in Auckland in the early days, and when the first English team visited New Zealand in ISBB Mr Mayes was selected for the trial matches prior to the Auckland fixture. In the last game he was unfortunate in breaking his collarbone when it seemed that he might gain the. fullback position in the team. Nearly iO

years ago he was playing wing-three-quarter In the Hamilton team. Mr Mayes also took an active part in Hamilton cricket, and recalled many of the games played here in the early days. Amateur Stage Work Another pastime in which Mr Mayes was interested was amateur theatrical work, and for many years he was connected with such activities in Hamilton. Many of the productions were staged in Knox Hall, while the party also visited Rotorua, Paeroa and Waihi. Mr and Mrs Mayes have three sons and three daughters. They are Messrs H. S. Mayes (Nelson), A. C. Mayes (Pukekohe), S. M. Mayes (Hamilton), and Mesdames G. Tremain, F. Cramp and C. Hall (Hamilton). There are nine grandchildren.