Rev John Whiteley Memorial (1923 - 2006)

This memorial in memory of the Rev John Whiteley Memorial was unveiled at 2.00 pm on 2 February 1923. The ceremony was led by the Rev C.H. Laws (President of the Methodist conference) and attended by other church representatives and civic leaders.

IN MEMORY OF

JOHN WHITELEY

PIONEER METHODIST MISSIONARY

WHO WAS KILLED ON THIS SPOT

13^TH FEBRUARY, 1869

ERECTED BY HIS ADMIRERS

THROUGHOUT THE DOMINION

HE WHAKAMAHARATANGA

MO HONE WAITERE

APAKAKI MIHANERE

I PATUA KI TENEI WAHI

13 O PEPUERE 1869

(The memorial was removed in October 2006 as part of the Ngāti Tama Treaty settlement. It was replaced by a memorial stone on the road reserve nearby on 18 July 2008. The plaque from the memorial has been retained by the Methodist Church)

Further reading: A Fraction Too Much Friction: Contested Heritage and the Whiteley Memorial, Paulette Wallace, Victoria University 2008. (TRCT993.482 WAL)

Further documents:

Government Permission Granted (Taranaki Daily News 10 November 1922)

The Monument that Was (NZ Legacy Volume 22 #2, 2010)

Historic obelisk now sorry stone mess (Taranaki Daily News 10 October 2006)

Church defends demolition of slain-missionary memorial (Taranaki Daily News 11 October 2006)