Celebrating the Collections & Archives of Otautau Museum

Commemorating 100 Years of WW1: Today’s  100 Years of WW1 Commemoration Blog Post is a little different - it combines the Centenary of 125 years of Women's Suffrage with WW1 History! “Farewell To New Zealand’s Sons” – the story behind the WW1 poem by the controversial Mrs (Bessie) Harrison Lee Cowie, of Australia, NZ and the USA: FAREWELL TO NEW ZEALAND’S SONS. (By Mrs Harrison Lee Cowie, Invercargill.) There’s a rushing of feet, a springing to arms, A wondrous response since the war’s wild alarms. Our brave boys are leaving, they’ve heard the loud call, “Lads, come back with honour, or come not at all.” Be noble and fearless, be gallant and true; The women will watch for tidings of you; Protect your own manhood, brave sons of the brave, There are worse things to shun than a patriot’s grave. Be dauntless in fighting the fierce foes within, Tread down, without mercy, temptations to sin, Protect every girl, ne’er cause one to fall, Oh, come back...

Rifleman Tui George Groves E Horner #42667 – NZRB: and Clifford Charles Horner #74579 – Mounted Rifles: These two first cousins were both in WW1. Their family was originally from Papanui, Christchurch, but they moved here to take up land in Heddon Bush before the onset of the war, which was on the Oreti Plains. Both the boys had this as their address on enlisting, and both were farming at the time. Tui who was called ‘Tim’, was born in 1894 in Christchurch. His parents were George Groves and Eliza (nee Bishop) Horner of Heddon Bush. On enlisting, Tim left NZ on 26/4/1917 bound for Plymouth, Devon, England, on board the ‘Pakeha’. He signed up as a Rifleman with NZRB, J Company Reinforcements. He looks rather dashing in his uniform, below!                                        ...