About the 28th Māori Battalion website project
The 28th Māori Battalion website is a place to record, remember, honour and maintain information and knowledge of the Māori Battalion and its outstanding contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand. This site and its related resources has been developed for the benefit of the remaining veterans, their families and for all New Zealanders. The website was published on 30 June 2009 and formally launched by the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Hon Christopher Finlayson, and the Minister of Māori Affairs, Hon Dr Pita Sharples, at Parliament on 6 August 2009.
It is intended that the website and related resources will:
- record and honour the stories of the 6300 Māori and Pacific Island men who served in the First and Second World Wars;
- provide opportunities for veterans and whānau to share their recollections and taonga, as they see fit;
- provide opportunities to promote and engage with users in te reo Māori; and
The site includes an historical overview of the Battalion at war, contributed stories and memories, and a selection of photographs, audio files (oral history, radio recordings and waiata) and videos. It also includes a nominal roll of all 6300 Māori and Pacific Island men who served in the First and Second World Wars.
Veterans, their families and other members of the public are encouraged to contribute to the website, to help keep alive the memory of the Māori Battalion for future generations.
Acknowledgements
This website was developed on behalf of the 28th Māori Battalion Association by the Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage in partnership with Te Puni Kōkiri, the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa and the Ministry of Education, under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in late 2008. The site's development was overseen by a Governance Group made up of representatives from these four agencies and the association. Origin Design (especially Matt Bondi, Juliet Jacka, Alexandra Lutyens and Jason O'Hara) were responsible for the interactive map and for developing design concepts. We also acknowledge the valuable contributions of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Sound Archives Ngā Taonga Kōrero - now Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision (especially Karen Neill), Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira (especially Bruce Ralston and Christina Tuitubou), and the War Graves Photographic Project. Thanks also to Anaru Dalziel, Jake Daube, Paul Diamond, Amy Donald, Derek Fox and Holden Hohaia.
This website acknowledges the generous support provided by the estate of Julian Beresford Browning Watson.
About the homepage
The homepage of the site features part of a photograph showing Māori Battalion soldiers (from left to right) Maaka (Bill) White (from Wharekāhika, later killed in action), Te Kooti (Scotty) Reihana (Rangitukia, later wounded) and Rangi Henderson (Te Araroa, later killed in action) performing a haka for the King of Greece at Helwan, Egypt, on 25 June 1941. See the full photograph, from the Alexander Turnbull Library.
Linking to this site
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