Ratana War Memorial at Arowhenua
Te Kamaka o Arowhenua (The stone of Arowhenua)

South Canterbury, New Zealand

Arowhenua Pa has a memorial arch "The Ratana Arch", built of Oamaru stone. The Ratana designs on the arch denotes the strong presence of the Ratana Church at Arowhenua.

On State Highway One on the left if heading towards Temuka from Timaru, ½ mile south of the Temuka bridge.  Note the bouquet of flowers left over from Anzac Day. This photo taken end of April 2007. That is a lovely camellia bush to the left. They grown to amazing heights in South Canterbury.  The foundation stone for the archway was laid in December 1934 and construction completed in 1935 and dedicated by Tahupotiki Wiremu as a kohatu whakamahataka (memorial stone) to Te Maiharoa as well as the hapu's fallen World War 1 soldiers. 
     Hipa Te Maiharoa (d. 1885/86) was a Ngai Tahu leader and he and his followers established a new settlement at Omarama where he sought to protect his community from pakeha influence and fought a long campaign to regain lost Ngai Tahu lands. Across the road is the Holy Trinity Church.

Roll of Honour
THE GREAT WAR
1914-1918
KILLED IN ACTION

C. Fisher W. Johnson H. Korako T. Peneamene P. Whitau H. Jacobs W. Peneamene W. Ratana

A. J. A. Coupar J. Geary S. Karetai W. Manihera A. P. Porete T. S. Rickus A. K. Whitau N. Ratana

Roll of Honour

The names of the men who fell in World War II 1939-1945
Fowler R.
Paipeta J.
Paiki J
Reihana T.
Solomon T.H.A.
Waaka T.
Whaitiri H.

This was either a South Island or Canterbury wide Ratana Church Memorial. 
Pte Waitere Manihera.
Pte Thomas Samuel Rickus AKA Samuel Pohio
Pte Arapata Koti P. Whitau
Pte Puaka Whitau
the other names on that Memorial Arch do not seem to have any South Canterbury connections.

WHITAU, Puaka - WW1 16/188 - NZEF Army
Pauka Whitau was born to Teone and Ratira Whitau from Temuka 3rd April 1893. He spent his early years at the Maori Pa at Temuka. raised by Mr Harry Kahu. He enlisted on 29th Sept. 1914 in Tuahiwi where he was working as a labourer. He departed NZ with the Maori Battalion on the Warimoo and disembarked at Suez. They then moved to Malta for garrison duty. On 14th August he was at "Anzac" sick and was transported to Malta until 29th August diagnosed with diarrheoa and chronic bronchitis and evacuated to England onboard the HMS Oxfordshire. Admitted to Bethnal Green Hospital 5th Sept. where he was diagnosed with pulmonary TB and transferred to Pinewood Sanatorium in Berkshire where he died on 10th Oct. 1915 of bronchitis and was buried in the St. Sebastian Churchyard Cemetery in Workingham, Berkshire at age 19. He was a nephew of Mrs Miria Kemara of Temuka and had a brother serving in France. Pauka's religion was C of E.

16/91 Ratana, Nepia, Pte. Killed in Action, Gallipoli, 7/8/15. Maoris in the Great War

Service Number: 16/91
Nepia Ratima
Rank: Private
Next of Kin: Wharekohuru Remana, Poroporo, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Marital Status: Single
Date of Death: 7 Aug 1915 Age: 22
Military District Auckland
Cause of Death: Killed in action
Body of Embarkation: 1st Maori Contingent
Embarkation Date: 14 February 1915 Wellington, New Zealand
Transport: HMNZT 20 Warrimoo for Suez, Egypt
Memorial: Chunuk Bair (New Zealand) Memorial Memorial Reference: 24. Country: Turkey
Next of Kin Wharekohuru Remana, Poroporo, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Enlistment Address Torere, New Zealand
Biographical Notes Son of Hauta Ratima and Wharekohuru Romana, of Poroporo, Whakatane, Auckland. 

Hawera & Normanby Star, 24 May 1919, Page 4
The persistency of a Temuka native lad, who has since "gone west" through endeavoring to serve his country, was disclosed in the Native Land Court at Temuka the other day (says the Timaru Herald). On an application for letters of administration of a deceased soldier's estate it- became necessary to explain that the native soldier's name was not his real one and how he came to adopt the one recognised by the military authorities. It appeared that he enlisted under his own name, but the authorities discovered later that he was under age and discharged him from camp. Nothing daunted, the young fellow assumed another name and re-enlisted. This time he was not discovered, and succeeded in realising his ambition to get to the front, which he did in company of his elder brother. In the west he did his share, and, being wounded, was returning to the Dominion when he died at sea. His life was not a long one, but sufficiently long to prove that he had inherited the dauntless spirit of his Maori ancestors.

April 2014

Anzac Day in South Canterbury April 25th 2002
Their commitment, and for so many their ultimate sacrifice, and to the families who sacrificed their loved ones should never be forgotten.  At the time New Zealand's population was just over one million. 18,166 New Zealanders died during WW1 and another 41,317 were wounded and many suffered for years after as a result of war service. Anzac Day in South Canterbury April 25th 2002 dawned cool and dry and many turned out to dawn parades and Anzac services to honour the fallen, to listen to the Last Post, to lay a poppy and or a wreath. The numbers attending Anzac Day parades and services have been climbing since the mid-1990s. Dawn Services were held in most towns, beginning with a march by returned service men and women and ending with 'The Last Post' played by a lone bugler, a minute's silence and the 'Reveille', which symbolises the first call of the new day. 

There were about 400 people at the Timaru cenotaph for the dawn service and a good number of people carried on to the cemetery after the service.  Wreaths were laid in honour of the soldiers and the New Zealand flag flew at half-mast.  At South Canterbury RSA citizen's service more than 1500, both young and old, turned out to remember the veterans and the fallen heroes of the First World War, but also to pay tribute to those involved in more recent conflicts around the world.  Pleasant Point had 230 turning out to the 8am service in the Town Hall.  Waimate had two services with about 350 attended the dawn service and a large crowd at the 10am service in the Waimate High School hall.  About 350 attended the Mackenzie RSA service at the monument on Main Street in Fairlie.

Ko Ahau
Ereaa
Omeka
Arowhenua
Te Pakiak
ata

Temuka Leader 20 March 1917 Page 3 Called for ballot.
Te Au Hape, labourer, Temuka. This man died last mouth, and his death was duly registered at the Arowhenua Maori Pa.

South Canterbury NZGenWeb Project