Built Heritage Inventory
Broughton Memorial, Christ Church
Register Item Number:
336
Building Type: 
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Recreation
Institutional
Agriculture
Other
Significance: 
 Archaeological
 Architectural
 Historic
 Scientific
 Technological
 Cultural
Thematic Context 
Early Settlement
Residential
Industry
Agricultural
Commerce
Transport
Civic/Admin
Health
Location: Christ Church grounds 243
Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga
Education
Wicksteed Street, Whanganui
List Number:
Religion
Recreation
Physical Description: The memorial is a squat obelisk shape with triangular
Community
gablets and stepped plinth and base.
Memorials
The monument is constructed of
sandstone, while the base is random rouble shell rock. A granite tablet with an
inscription to Charles William Broughton is fixed to the plinth facing the street.
Broughton Memorial, Christ Church zxy340
Military
Built Heritage Inventory
Other known names: Broughton Memorial
Current Use: NZ Wars Memorial
Former Uses: NZ Wars Memorial
Heritage Status:
District Plan Class: Class C
Architectural Style: Gothic
Date of Construction: c1866
Materials: Sandstone, shell rock, granite
Registered owner:
Legal Description:
History: The surviving lower portion of the memorial to Charles William
Broughton stands atop a platform of shell rock, on a grassed area close to the
street footpath, and backing onto Christ Church’s car park. It had a plain marble
cross on the top at the start of a series of photos taken in the mid-1990s.
However, by the end of the photo sequence, much of the cross had been lost to
vandalism.i The cross has now gone altogether.
The 1990s cross appears to have already been a replacement, as what looks to
be the same monument is standing alongside the second Christ Church (built
1866) in the background of an early wedding photo – and the cross above it is
more squat and not a plain-style cross (and also seemingly not a standard Celtic
cross).ii Both of these are pictured below. Given the monument’s absence from
other photos of the same church later in its (the church’s) time on this site, it
appears that the monument has been relocated on the church grounds a few
times.
The Broughton Memorial pictured soon after the 1865-66 construction of Christ
Church, when the trees in its gardens were very small. iii
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Built Heritage Inventory
Left: The memorial in the latter 1800s, and (right) in the early 1990s. The
gravestone in the background of the latter 1800s photo is the 50th (Queen’s
Own) Regiment stone, installed in 1866 and now part of the Lion Monument
collection.
J.B. Bennett’s 1976 book, Christ Church Wanganui: The continuing story (p.
214), in describing the various memorials at Christ Church, slightly incorrectly
states that: “In the Churchyard near the Parish Office is a memorial to Charles
Broughton who was killed at Otoia on the Patea River while carrying a flag of
truce. His naked, headless body was found weeks afterwards. A memorial to a
brave man was thought fitting and this was placed in the grounds and in the
custody of Christ Church Wanganui.”
The original text on the front of the monument is very weathered. However a
plaque has been placed on its base to preserve its message. This says: “Sacred
to the Memory of Charles William Broughton, Interpreter to the Forces who was
Murdered by the Rebel Natives whilst under Flag of Truce at Kakaramea on the
1st October 1865. Erected by the Officers serving on the West Coast under
Brigadier General Waddy C.B.”
The Killing
Charles Broughton’s death was the second of three killings by the Hauhaus
within a fortnight in late 1865. The other two were Kereti Te Ahuru, a Maori
policeman, and Trooper Smith, of the Military Train (cavalry), whose Christian
name has not been traced. Thomas W. Gudgeon, in Reminiscences of the War
in New Zealand (p. 104) recorded that the Hauhaus on the west coast of the
North Island had in 1865 refused to receive a peace proclamation issued by the
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Governor, Sir George Grey. Therefore, it was considered “absolutely necessary
for the peace of the district (that) they should be punished.” The Hauhaus were
accused of having taken advantage of the absence of the Colonial Forces from
the area - these forces having just been sent to Opotiki.
Kereti had been ordered to select someone from amongst the “Weraroa
prisoners to carry the peace proclamation to the Ngarauru and Pakakohi tribes,
a dangerous duty for anyone but a Hauhau to undertake.” Charles Broughton
approved of the chosen prisoner (Tariu) and warned Kereti not to proceed
beyond Weraroa for his own safety. Unfortunately Kereti trusted the word of a
Hauhau he met. This ultimately led him into an ambush, where on 21st
September he was shot and fatally wounded. Although rescued and able to give
Broughton a statement as to what had happened and who had been involved,
he died on 24th September. His body was then brought down to Wanganui for
burial.iv
On 26th September, a letter signed by some Hauhau was sent in to one of the
redoubts. It requested that someone acquainted with the Maori language be
sent to confer with them on the proclamations that Tariu had delivered to them
(and which had then seen him briefly held prisoner by them).v This then was the
immediate background to Broughton’s death.
On 5th October 1865, the Wanganui Chronicle referred to rumours circulating the
district about Broughton’s possible fate, as by that time he was missing. The
article stated that:
“Last week Mr C.W. Broughton, who has of late been acting as interpreter to the
Forces was sent out to Patea by Brigadier-General Waddy in consequence of a
letter sent in from Kakaramea, that had been found on a pole near that camp,
and which was signed by six Hau Haus who asked (for) an interview. He left by
the ‘Gundagai’ on Friday taking with him a native named Wi Puka. They arrived
at Patea at 4pm, on that day and started off at 5pm, to Kakaramea, where they
slept.
“About 11am, on Saturday, they saw a man come out from a bush about a mile
distant with a white flag. They went to meet the man, being accompanied by an
officer. They met on a hill on the other side of a bridge over the Makaka, a
tributary of the Patea, and had a conversation. The native’s name was Atonika,
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Built Heritage Inventory
and Mr Broughton was acquainted with him, having apprehended him some
time ago in connection with the stealing of a horse. Mr Broughton asked him to
bring a native named Ruka, an old friend of Mr Broughton’s who used to be at
Rangitikei. Meanwhile in his absence, they returned to the pa, and had some
food, and on the two Maoris coming to the place of meeting went out and held
another conversation, the same officer accompanying them.
“The pa from which the two natives came, is named Hoewaka, and is on the
south side of Patea, about three miles distant from Kakaramea; on a high
ground midway a white flag was hoisted. Mr Broughton gave Ruka some
brandy, tobacco and biscuits, and Ruka asked him to go to the pa. He said he
wished first to know what was the meaning of the words they had written –
‘Kanohi kanohi, amangai, amangai – (face to face voice to voice)’. Ruka replied
that they were written because of the Governor’s proclamation of peace, Wi
Puka objected to Mr Broughton’s going on the ground that these natives now
worshipped a strange god, and had no compunction in killing anyone. Mr
Broughton said, ‘Return tomorrow, and let me hear what you have to say to my
conversation.’ They returned to Kakaramea, and remained there all night.
“Next day (Sunday), at nine a.m., the officer, Mr Broughton and Wi Puka, again
went out and met Atonika, who came, accompanied by a young man whom they
did not know. Atonika again invited them to the pa, but they objected to go, as
Ruka had not come. The young man was sent to bring Ruka, and the others
returned (to) Kakaramea. At eleven a.m., the youth returned and said that Ruka
would meet them at a small clump of bush a little further away from Kakaramea.
Wi Puka objected; but the officer and Mr Broughton went forward with the young
man; and Wi Puka followed at a little distance, and on a different track, and saw
another native named Enoka, also known to Mr Broughton, come down and join
the party. Ruka was not there but Enoka, who as well as his companions had
Maori arms, but no guns, said he was at a place further on, and asked them to
go forward. Wi Puka again objected to go further, his suspicions having been
excited.
“At twelve o’clock Ruka came down. They remained talking till 2 o’clock when
Mr Broughton pulled out his watch and said, ‘Well I shall go, I am now convinced
that there is no danger.’ Wi Puka said, ‘No! You will be killed.’ Mr Broughton said
to the officer and Wi Puka, ‘You better return and I will go on.’ Wi Puka said,
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Built Heritage Inventory
‘Well Ruka, I leave Broughton in your hands, you will be answerable for him.’ ‘All
right,’ said Ruka, and they went away to Hoewaka, the officer and Wi Puka
returning to Kakaramea.
“Next morning Wi Puka rose at four o’clock and saw some fires about three
miles distant. At 7am three shots were fired in rapid succession at Hoewaka,
and immediately afterwards a red flag was hoisted. It was the King’s flag. At
9am the white flag on the high point was taken down. Wi Puka has no doubt that
Mr Broughton has been murdered; but it is quite possible that he may only have
been made a prisoner. The firing of the three shots is the circumstance most
difficult to account for on the supposition that he is alive.”vi
Two days later the Wanganui Chronicle advised that there had been no further
intelligence and it was increasingly suspected that Broughton had been
murdered. Lieutenant-Colonel Gorton offered to head a volunteer expedition to
ascertain the truth, but Brigadier-General Waddy was prevented by his
instructions from allowing this. A local Maori party also wished to do the same
thing. vii
Subsequent criticisms of Waddy’s lack of action included those of Sir George
Grey, who on 11th October wrote to General Chute that he was shocked to learn
what had happened, and this had increased when he found that Waddy had a
large force at his command, yet he had “allowed so long a time to elapse without
taking prompt and energetic measures to ascertain the fate of his own
messenger, whom he had dispatched on a message of peace, and if necessary,
either to have rescued him, or to have inflicted punishment on his treacherous
murderers.” He considered that Waddy should explain his lack of action. “I
cannot but wonder that the Brigadier-General, two of whose messengers on
errands of peace have been treacherously murdered close to his posts, whilst
obeying the orders of a British General, should remain on the defensive in the
posts he occupies, until he receives your instructions whether he is to continue
to do so or not.”viii
The Wanganui Chronicle of 5th October further recorded that another man, a
member of the Military Train Corps, whose name was not then known to the
newspaper, had also been tomahawked to death near the Patea redoubt, after
his horse was shot from under him. This was Trooper Smith, who was killed on
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4th October. These three killings then became the focus of widespread attention
and caused considerable concern.ix
There were several vivid descriptions of how Broughton’s end came – all
graphic!x Thomas W. Gudgeon, in his book Reminiscences of the War in New
Zealand, published in 1879 (p. 106), states that there was no really authentic
account of the killing. However, his version was from an eyewitness from
another iwi. He agrees with other versions that Broughton entered the pa gate
and saluted the Hauhaus, and was met with dead silence. He had realised that
his fate was sealed, and after sitting down for a few moments amidst the dead
silence, and “probably to hide his feelings”, he had taken out his pipe and
walked toward a fire, and began to light it. While doing this, a man named Maka
shot him through the back and he fell partly on the embers where he writhed in
agony until they dragged him off the fire and threw him over the cliff into the
Patea River. Gudgeon’s informant had added: “Do not blame Maka. It was a
cowardly murder, but every man in the tribe was equally guilty. Before the letter
was sent, asking someone to meet them, it had been decided to murder the
man when he came.”
The Acting Interpreter to the Forces, William Jenkins (Broughton’s replacement)
kept a journal of his time in the area in October 1865, accompanied by eight
Maori guides, several related to Kereti, along with Kereti’s brother, and about
300 men of the 18th and 58th Regiments (who, the guides anxiously complained,
could not stop talking and knew nothing of bush fighting). Eventually they found
the corpse of Broughton’s horse, which had been pierced through the heart with
a sharp weapon. It had been “killed a long way from the (by now abandoned) pa
and not within sight of it, (a) deep ravine intervening.” They concluded that
Broughton had been killed somewhere between the spot where the flag of truce
was located and the ravine where they found the horse. However, despite an
intensive search, there was no sight of Broughton.xi
It took about three months to find Broughton’s remains. The Wanganui Times of
21st February 1866 published details of the discovery that had been supplied to
them by Brigadier-General Waddy. This stated that Broughton’s naked body had
been found on the riverbank about two miles up the Patea River, and about 1½
miles from the Patea redoubt. His ring was still on his finger. There were three
deep tomahawk wounds on the back of his head, but no further mutilation.
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Built Heritage Inventory
However, the body was too decomposed to be moved, and so it was buried
where it was found. The Broughton family planned to enclose the grave and
erect a headstone.xii
Aftermath
By April 1868, less than three years after Broughton’s death, problems were
already developing with Broughton’s grave - which was described as being “on
the banks of the Patea River, a little distance above the township.” The grave
had been fenced in with wood palings, however, at high tide and with “every
freshet”, the river washed over the grave. As a result, the palings were partly
broken and the grave presented “such an appearance, that the most sad
reflections are forced upon the mind of one who visits the spot.”xiii
On 9 June 1898, a New Plymouth resident, W.F. Gordon, wrote to the
Wanganui Herald (p. 3) querying the presence of Broughton’s name on
Wanganui’s Lion Memorial. He wrote that Broughton remained buried close to
the river in Patea, adding that he had read up on the subject some time earlier.
He had discovered the position of the grave in an old field-book and had marked
it on a map. Earlier in 1898, Gordon and a friend had searched for the grave, but
could not find it as the site was now covered in low scrubby bushes. However,
they met a man who recalled the palings around the grave, but these had since
rotted away and nothing now marked the grave.
In 1920, the Patea Press reported that “Not many men travelling up and down in
the train can tell the story of the little fenced-in grave lying a few feet from the
river bank on the flat near Mr Sladden’s residence.” The article described the
background to the grave: “A surveyor named Broughton, whose descendants
still help to people the land, had gone up the river to negotiate with the natives
regarding some quarrel. He had been warned of the danger he ran, but he took
the risk and was killed. His body was thrown into the river, and it drifted down
near the spot where he was buried, at the place mentioned above. Forty years
ago the grave was fully 15 to 18 feet from the river bank; and only as late as the
recent high tides a big fall of earth had taken place in the bank, which means
that only a few feet separate the grave from the tides that flow up and down the
river bed. If the grave is to be protected something of a substantial nature will
have to be built around it to save it from destruction.”xiv
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Since that time, Broughton’s remains have been disinterred and removed to
Patea Cemetery in Scotland Road. The Ministry of Culture & Heritage now
maintains his grave.xv The plaque on his grave reads: “In memory of Charles
William Broughton, Interpreter of the Forces, killed at Kakaramea, 1st October
1865. Erected by the NZ Government. An account of the death of Charles
William Broughton is given in Gudgeon’s ‘Heros of New Zealand’ (1887). He
was first buried beside the Patea River but in 1937 his remains were reinterred
in Patea Cemetery.”xvi
In September 1866, a petition was presented to the Government seeking to
support and educate Broughton’s children. Attempts were also made to have the
children granted 300 acres.xvii However, it appears there was no quick result.
Eight years after Broughton’s death, The Government passed ‘The Broughton
Land Grant Act, 1873’, in order to provide a land grant to his surviving children.
The preamble of the Act describes Broughton as having been “treacherously
assassinated” near Kakaramea, in the Patea district. It states that Broughton
and his Maori wife had four children at the time of his death, and another born
after his death. The Act allowed the Act’s trustees to select 200 acres from the
confiscated lands on behalf of the children. xviii The family had been promised
300 acres, while a pension of £126 had been granted to them. The 200 acres in
the Act was to be granted to the children. While the family’s circumstances
leading to this Act were not described, it was believed that some assistance for
the children had now become necessary.xix
The Memorial
The Evening Post of 9 December 1865 repeats a recently article from the
Wanganui Chronicle, that “a suggestion has been made by the BrigadierGeneral commanding the district, that something should be done by the troops
employed in the Taranaki campaign, to show their appreciation of the service of
the late Mr Broughton, more especially considering that he met his death while
engaged in a special mission at Kakaramea. The General proposes that a sum
of money, sufficient to place a tablet or ornamental window, to the memory of
the deceased, in the Episcopal church at Wanganui, should be raised, and for
this he requests those officers who approve of his suggestion, to open
subscription lists for their respective corps.” The Chronicle reporter considered
that the military would take up the matter warmly, and that many others in the
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town would do likewise – “thus testifying their respect for a gentleman whose
untimely fate has evoked such general sorrow.”
The date of the unveiling of the Broughton memorial has not yet been traced. It
might have been impacted upon by the absences of various people and military
forces from Wanganui at that time – or it might have felt awkward when his
family at the same time were in need. However it almost certainly occurred in
1866.xx
However, other reports of early war memorial unveilings in the town were
located. For example, the Evening Post of 14 March 1866 (p, 2), which was
copying an undated Wanganui Chronicle article, described the unveiling of a
tombstone at Christ Church, Wanganui, the previous Thursday. This memorial
was in memory of eleven men of the 50th (Queen’s Own) Regiment, who fell at
(and who at that time were buried at) Nukumaru. This memorial had been
subscribed for by the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates of the
Regiment, and it was erected at the south corner of the tower of the newly built
church. The memorial stone was fixed in its place by Lieutenant-Colonel
Hamley, 50th Regiment, commanding the garrison, and the Rev. C.H.S. Nicholls,
of Christ Church and the acting Garrison Chaplain. A small number of other
associated people were present. The eleven men had been killed in action on
25th January 1865.xxi That memorial appears in the background of the early
photo of the Broughton memorial shown elsewhere on this report. It now stands
behind the Lion Monument.
Christ Church
The probable time of the installation of the Broughton Memorial coincides with
the construction of the second Christ Church. The first Christ Church was built in
1844. The foundation stone for the second church was unveiled on 16 th October
1865, two weeks after Broughton’s death. The 50th (Queen’s Own) Regiment
memorial was installed alongside the new church’s tower in early March 1866,
and the new church was duly consecrated on 16th July 1866. The Broughton
Memorial was installed a few metres from the 50th Regiment memorial –
according to an early photo – but probably this was not the only site it was to
occupy in its early years.xxii
The current Wicksteed Street Christ Church was built in 1920, at which time the
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memorial was moved some 700m from its Victoria Avenue site to its present
site.
As well and the abovementioned damage in the mid-1990s, in 2007, someone
tipped the Broughton Memorial over and for a time the Christ Church parish
management took it away for safe-keeping. When Andersons’ Memorials went
to undertake work on it on behalf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they could
not find it. The Wanganui District Council minutes for April 2007 duly recorded:
“An officer of the Internal Affairs Department will visit Wanganui in May 2007
and discuss the future site for Charles Broughton’s memorial stone with
concerned parties including the Founders Society, Christ Church Parish, the
Broughton family, the Historic Places Trust, the Wanganui District Council, and
other groups involved. A suitable site could be the Heads Road Cemetery.” xxiii
Bibliography
Bates, Arthur P., Focus on Wanganui (Wanganui, 1984)
Bennett, J.B., Christ Church Wanganui: The continuing story (Wanganui, 1976)
Gudgeon, Thomas W., Reminiscences of the War in New Zealand, (Sampson
Low, Marston & Co., London, 1879): Chapter XVII ‘Murder of Keriti, of Mr
Charles Broughton, and of Trooper Smith’ http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-GudRemi-t1-body1-d18.html
Newspapers, archival material and online sources as described in the footnotes.
Architect/Designer: Unknown
History of changes: Marble cross on top has been broken at least twice, the
second time being in the mid-1990s.
Date Period:
Rarity / Special Features: A rare
Integrity: The memorial has lost part
memorial to an interpreter who was
of the original construction.
killed while attempting to negotiate
peace.
Broughton Memorial, Christ Church zxy340
Built Heritage Inventory
Representativeness: Difficult to
Context/Group
Value:
assess given its current state.
number
related
of
throughout
New
commemorating
the
One
of
a
memorials
Zealand
New
Zealand
Wars.
Diversity (Form and Features):
Fragility
/
Vulnerability:
As
a
memorial near a road and close to a
car park, it is potentially vulnerable to
damage from vehicles.
Summary of Significance:
Archaeological Qualities
Having been relocated to this site in 1920, its site is not an archaeological site
under the Historic Places Act 1993.
Architectural Qualities
The memorial is a squat obelisk in form, a common form for memorials.
Historic Qualities
The memorial commemorates the brave actions of Charles William Broughton
who was an interpreter to the British forces during the New Zealand wars in
Wanganui. He died at the hands of “Rebel Natives” who were known as the
Hauhau when attempting to discuss peace with them.
Cultural Qualities
As a memorial the structure has sentimental qualities, particularly as it was
completed after a concerted campaign to recognise the deeds of Broughton.
Reference Source:
Associated Pictures:
Date of Survey: 2012
Prepared by: Ian Bowman and Val Burr
i
Charles Broughton NZ Wars Memorial: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/charles-broughton-nz-warsmemorial
ii J.B. Bennett, Christ Church Wanganui: The continuing story (Wanganui, 1976), Plate 9 (opp. p. 96)
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‘Churches: Wanganui’s Oldest Public Building – St. Peter’s Church, Gonville’ in Arthur P. Bates, Focus on
Wanganui (Wanganui, 1984), pp. 32-33
iv ‘Papers Relative to the Murder of Kereti’ in Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives,
1865, Session 1, E-No. 6, pp. 3-5
v Thomas W. Gudgeon, Reminiscences of the War in New Zealand (London, 1879), p. 104
vi Wanganui Chronicle, 5 October 1865, reprinted in the Wellington Independent, 10 October 1865, p. 6
vii Wanganui Chronicle, 5 October 1865, reprinted in the Wellington Independent, 10 October 1865, p. 6
viii Wellington Independent, 16 January 1866, p. 5
ix Wanganui Chronicle, 5 October 1865, reprinted in the Wellington Independent, 10 October 1865, p. 6
x These include: Wanganui Times, 17 October 1865, reprinted in the Daily Southern Cross, 30 October 1865,
p. 5; Daily Southern Cross, 28 October 1865, p. 7; Otago Witness, 28 October 1865, p. 15
; Hawera & Normanby Star, 13 July 1904, p. 2
xi Wanganui Times, 24 October 1865, reprinted in Wellington Independent, 31 October 1865, p. 6
xii Wanganui Times, 21 February 1866, reprinted in Australian & New Zealand Gazette, 24 February 1866, p.
8: http://newspaperarchive.com/australian-and-new-zealand-gazette/1866-02-24/page-8
xiii Wanganui Herald, 23 April 1868, p. 2
xiv Patea Press article reprinted in Hawera & Normanby Star, 24 August 1920, p. 4
xv Ministry for Culture & Heritage: A List of Historic Graves and Monuments: http://www.mch.govt.nz/nzidentity-heritage/national-monuments-war-graves/list-historic-graves-and-monuments
xvi NZ Genealogical Society, Cemetery Microfiche: Patea Cemetery: No. 189, Row 7 (Block B).
xvii Wanganui Times, 11 September 1866, p. 2(4-5), & 18 September 1866, p. 2 (3). Note that these were
found during a search of the hard copy of this newspaper and Whanganui Regional Museum, but nothing
was found relating to the memorial unveiling.
xviii ‘The Broughton Land Grant Act, 1873’: http://www.enzs.auckland.ac.nz/docs/1873/1873A022.pdf
xix Wanganui Herald, 30 September 1873, p. 2
xx The earliest Wanganui newspapers accessible on the key word searchable Papers Past website start in
1867, and the ceremony could not be traced on that site.
xxi Wellington Independent, 18 February 1865, p. 5
xxii Bennett, Plates 9 & 10, p. 67; Wellington Independent, 26 October 1865, p. 8. Another memorial unveiling
for early military dead (1847-48) at Christ Church appears in the Wanganui Chronicle of 5th November 1894,
p. 2
xxiii Wanganui District Council Minutes, 30 April 2007:
http://www.wanganui.govt.nz/AboutCouncil/Minutes/2007/30_Apr_07.pdf
iii
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