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Speech – 29 April 2013 Trinity Wharf

150th Commemoration of the Battle of Gate Pa

[Slide 1]

Kia ora everyone and on behalf of the Trust I’d just like to add my welcome to those given you by

our kaumatua Ngatoko Morehu and our Chairman Simon Collett.

It’s been my privilege as Project Director for the Trust to put together a Commemoration

programme that will properly mark this significant chapter in our history and a programme that

offers everyone in our community who wants to the opportunity participate, share and indeed

contribute.

Simon and our other speakers have or will tell you why they think Gate Pa was such a significant

event. My view is that this commemoration offers our community an opportunity to move forward

in a way which we have never had before. If the events of 1864 and what followed represented a

nadir for Maori Pakeha relations in Tauranga then next year, 150 years on, marks an important

milestone on the journey to completing achieving a just reconciliation.

[slide 2] What’s different about this 100th commemoration is that the Maori grievances which were

generated in the years following Gate Pa have largely been addressed through the Waitangi Tribunal

process and Tauranga iwi are now moving into the settlement stage of those grievances. I think that

as with Tainui and Ngai Tahu there will be a rise in the profile of Maori within the city – particularly

in the business and investment sectors – and as a result the Tauranga of tomorrow will be a different

place to the Tauranga of today. I don’t think a lot of our community recognises the significance of

this development so in my opinion and I stress my opinion, all the more reason to mark this

transition stage with this commemoration year. We have a shared past, we can look forward with

great optimism to a shared future.

[slide 3]We have a big programme of events planned for the year coming – beginning in October

with an appeal to the wordsmiths in the community to come up with a Gate Pa poem that captures

many of the elements that have been or will be spoken about tonight.

Then with the beginning of the new school year Eves Realty and the Bay of Plenty Times will be

sponsoring an essay competition aimed at secondary school students – from Katikati through to Te

Puke and a speech competition for students as well. Jenny Jenkins from Matapihi who wrote one of

the few books telling the Gate Pa story for younger children – Battle at the Gate - will be providing

readings in primary schools around the Gate Pa area.

Many of the events we have planned will be happening from 1 March:

working with the Elms Trust, Historic Places Trust and Tourism BOP – we want to have a new

brochure and a self guided walking tour of the historic sites here in the city that are linked to

Gate Pa

(slide 4) as you will hear shortly from Robbie O’Hara – we will have an exhibition of

photographs and drawings from 1864 set up in a display at St George’s church at Gate Pa;

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Rob Hicks is building a model of 1864 Gate Pa and we have organised for it to be displayed at

Tauranga Airport

Alan Coster is building another model which will be displayed at the Elms I believe

The Tauranga Art Gallery will be holding an exhibition of the drawings of Horatio Gordon

Robley of the 68th Regiment

Westpac Bank branch in Devonport Road will have a cannon from the Tauranga Heritage

collection on display in their foyer – along with the original drawings prepared for Jenny

Jenkins book – Battle at the Gate

We’d like to see other business get involved with window displays as well

(SLIDE 5) We are looking to commission a major kapa haka piece which will be performed

during this time

Series of public lectures by Cliff Simons – a reprise of the talks he gave earlier this year and

which continue to grow in popularity – reminds me that the city of Tauranga is the only one

which occupies an actual battlefield

We would like to commission a contemporary dance piece called Breakfast at Te Papa – a

reference to the jest made by Rawiri Puhirake about bring his soldiers into the British

military camp – I’d like to see how the Gate Pa story can be interpreted into contemporary

dance

We are hoping to have a new drama – the Gate Pa monologues – with a short season;

NZ String Quartet to give some concerts playing music of the time

[SLIDE 6]In discussions with the Navy to have a vessel here and which hopefully will be

available for public visits – would like the Navy to take part – 1964 Navy Cross which

replaces the wooden cross that the Navy had maintained for 100 years

[slide 7]Anzac Day 25 April

(slide 8)Unveiling of plaques at sites of interest e.g. the Durham Redoubt and Barracks; the

Judea Redoubt; the location of the artillery battery by the hospital – others?

Saturday 26th April Firing of the guns – cannons and coehorn mortars on Tauranga Domain -

three salutes planned (pics)

(Slide 9)NZ Army brass band – lunchtime concerts – if they can be here - WO2 Dwayne

Bloomfield is composing a piece for Gate Pa

(slide 10)Commemorative dinner – host GG

(slide 11)Huria Marae – powhiri for overseas visitors – invited military units

(slide 12)29th April Dawn blessing ceremony for Pou

(slide 13)Morning service at Mission Cemetery – Helen Ann Hartley St Johns College but who

also hails from Durham – home of the 68th Regiment – wreath laying

(slide 14)Lunch time performance NZ Army band

(slide 15) 3.30pm March up Cameron Road – military units – 42 drummers – (slide

16)massed iwi – wero and haka followed by ecumenical service and address by GG –

followed by afternoon tea

(slide 17)30th April – vice regal afternoon tea in Elms gardens – thank you to all those

involved in the organisation and hosting of events

(slide 18)21st June – service and dedication of Te Ranga battle site

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[Slide 19 – Gate Pa reserve]There are two major infrastructure projects involved – the first is an

enhancement of the Gate Pa reserve and monument – (pix) including a new pathway which involves

an extension to the current pathway, possible a new flag pole, a marae atea of wooden deck space;

repositioning of the present gateway, the removal of some trees to give a better view of Mauao and

the erection of pou on either side of Cameron Road.

[Slide 20 Te Ranga reserve] The second is a major reshaping of the Te Ranga battle site and reserve –

paddock at present – the proposed work for the reserve is a major item and is probably something

that will need to be done as a stage project.

Funding

We have conservatively costed the commemoration at $647,000 being $495, 783 for the two

reserves projects and $150,800 for the events.

[Slide 21]The Trust is seeking funding through sponsorship from local business – grateful for those

who are already on board, through the three Councils, local foundations such as the Acorn

Foundation and TECT; Lotto; and we will be approaching government in particular the Ministry of

Culture and Heritage which has set aside a large amount for World War I commemorations in 2015.

We will be looking to have some of that funding directed towards these commemorations. A

delegation from Tainui will be seeking Ministerial support.

Some of the events like the commemorative dinner which is a fund raiser - will be charge events –

but the hope is that sufficient funds can be raised from other sources to make these events free to

the public.

Conclusion

So a large and varied programme – we don’t see this commemoration just being about next year –

would like it to become an annual commemoration that is a permanent fixture on the Tauranga

events list. We have got an interesting history and it is great that we still have some of the physical

pieces of that history still with us – the Elms is a great example.

It is right that we should make the best of that heritage and I look forward to working with you to

make that happen.

Tena koutou