The Ngarimu Victoria Cross Investiture Meeting and Reception to His Excellency the Governor General, 6 October 1943.
On 4 June 1943 news was broadcast world-wide that 2/Lt Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu had been awarded the Victoria Cross for his role in the attack on Point 209 at Tebaga Gap, Tunisia. It was the sixth VC to be awarded to a New Zealander in the war, and the first to a Maori soldier.
The public investiture ceremony where the Governor-General presented the award to Mr & Mrs Hamuera Ngarimu was held at Whakarua Park in Ruatoria, Ngarimu’s home town. At the time it was one of the largest and most fully documented Māori gatherings ever held.[1] Despite the rain and mud, 7000 people attended the event, including the Prime Minister and other parliamentarians, Battalion members on furlough, Home Guardsmen and 1300 schoolchildren, who came from all parts of the country. Three hundred performers had been brought together from the Gisborne district alone. Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and Ngāti Porou, led by Sir Apirana Ngata hosted the event that featured five hours of entertainment. Members of the National Film Unit, the official Government photographer - John Pascoe, and the press documented the event. Cameramen from the US Marine Corps also headed to Ruatoria to record the event. Read more about the event here.
The image is of Materoa Reedy, aunty to Te Moana nui a Kiwa Ngarimu and taken on the day of the investiture ceremony. The recording of this haka was made on the morning of the investiture at Whakarua Park.
Transcript
Sir AT Ngata: Materoa. Mrs Materoa Reedy will on behalf of one half of Ngati Porou welcome the visitors. Materoa, Kingi Tahiwi haramai koe. Ara, haramai. Korero koe, maku e korero atu.
Materoa Reedy: Haere mai, haere mai, haere mai.
Sir AT Ngata: Welcome, welcome, welcome
Materoa Reedy: Haere mai e te Kawana Tianara
Sir AT Ngata: Welcome to you His Excellency the Governor-General.
Materoa Reedy: Haere mai koe, te mangai e ki ana mo te Kingi ki roto i enei moutere.
Sir AT Ngata: Welcome to you the representative to this Dominion and in these isles of His Majesty the King.
Materoa Reedy: Haere mai ki te whakaaturanga o te tohu toa tuatahi i whiwhi to iwi Maori
Sir AT Ngata: Come to the demonstration in honour of the first Victoria Cross won by a member of the Maori race.
Materoa Reedy: Haramai koutou katoa me te Pirimia me te kawanatanga.
Sir AT Ngata: Welcome to also the ministers, members of the government
Materoa Reedy: Haramai, koianei ano nga korero, haramai te whakanui te ra o, te whakanui te ra whakamau ai te tohu toa te iwi Maori
Sir AT Ngata: To you also we tender our thanks for coming here to join with us in doing honour on this great occasion. Nga mema paremata, nga mema paremata (Ngata reminds her to acknowledge the members of parliament).
Materoa Reedy: Haere mai hoki nga mema Pakeha. Haere mai koutou. Kia tutaki tatou ki te whakanui i te ra i whiwhi te tamaiti Maori i nga tohu toa o te whawhai.
Sir AT Ngata: We welcome the distinguished Pakeha visitors here. We have already in diverse, on diverse maraes tended our welcome to the members of parliament representing the Native race. Kia ora koutou.
Materoa Reedy: Kia ora koutou katoa. Haere mai e nga iwi o te motu!
Sir AT Ngata: Welcome to the peoples of the, representing the Maori tribes of the two islands.
Materoa Reedy: Nga iwi o Te Waipounamu o Aotearoa.
Sir AT Ngata: Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu.
Materoa Reedy: Haramai e hoa ma ka taka ki te pouri o a tatou tamaiti.
Sir AT Ngata: Come here to mourn with us those of our boys who made the supreme sacrifice in this war.
Materoa Reedy: Haramai ano hoki tatou ki te whakanui te taonga i whakamihia ai i tera taha.
Sir AT Ngata: And join with us in this honour that has been done to the Maori race.
Materoa Reedy: Ahakoa i tu kite taku, na te takaro pu o a tatau tamaiti whakarangihia te taonga nei.
Sir AT Ngata: Although this particular member of the Maori Battalion, a relative of mine, was singled out by fortune for the honour, it is won for the whole of the Maori race and the result of the splendid work of the Maori Battalion.
Crowd Applauds: Hea! Hea!
Sir AT Ngata: So greetings to you all.
Materoa Reedy: Haramai nga hoia o te Maori Battalion. Tena koutou.
Sir AT Ngata: I want now to welcome the members of the 28th Maori Battalion who are here, back from the Middle East.
Materoa Reedy: Haramai koutou nga mea o koutou (inaudible). Haramai Kanara Bennett koutou ko to tamaiti, wera tamaiti i haramai. Mea mai koutou i nga mea koutou (inaudible) te taake e kai ana kia hoki ora mai ki te kainga nei.
Sir AT Ngata: We welcome the officers of the Battalion present here and if I may do so I wish to make special mention of Lieutenant-Colonel Bennett who was associated with the deeds we are here to commemorate today and to all members of the Maori Battalion here today. Applause. So, kia ora to you.
Me a wai? A, tukuna mai nga children. Ah, the school children will please get ready behind as soon as these haka parties off the stage. You will please bring the schoolchildren onto the platform. They were given no sort of showing in the mud behind (inaudible) but we want this crowd to see them.
Site editors notes:
- The audio levels are low and there is intermittent static throughout the audio
- A question mark (?) after a word indicates audio is inaudible
Sound file from Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, ref: 43113. Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright.
Image reference
Alexander Turnbull Library
1/4-000683-F
Materoa Reedy gives welcoming speech to guests - photograph taken by J D Pascoe Date: 6 Oct 1943.
Further information and copies of this image may be obtained from the Library through its 'Timeframes' website, http://timeframes.natlib.govt.nz. Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa must be obtained before any reuse of this image.
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