April 26, 2023
ANZAC ceremony returns to Pōhaturoa
ANZAC ceremonies will be held across the country and out as far as the Chatham Islands tomorrow morning – each with a unique twist.
Whakatane will this year host high-profile guests including army chief Major General John Boswell, Australian Deputy High Commissioner Amy Guihot, officers and sailors of HMNZS Matataua, and local MP and Cabinet Minister Kiritapu Allan.
RSA spokesperson Victor Hape says what makes the event special for the Whakatane community is the return to the historic Pōhaturoa rock in the centre of the town.
“In 1923 Whakatane held its first ANZAC service, and that service was held at Pōhaturoa. So we are going to attempt to emulate that auspicious occasion in our community’s history this ANZAC day, something we’re really looking forward to do,” he says.
Pōhaturoa was a sacred place for Ngāti Awa long before it became a memorial for those who died in World War I, and it was also the place 12 rangatira signed the Treaty of Waitangi in June 1840.