New Zealand, despite it’s far away location and small population, went all out in service to the victorious Empire during World War I. Over 10 percent of the population served overseas. Among them were many of the Maori tribe of Pacific islanders. Their participation was a little more complicated. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
The portrait of the man is what drew me to this stamp. I assumed he was a deceased politician that is rivals had zinged by slipping in Devil’s horns on his stamp honour. The makings of a fun stamp. Thus I was disappointed when he turned out to be a Maori Chief. Even the most rabid colonialist would not portray a native that way, well maybe if New Zealand was a French colony. As confirmed on many later New Zealand stamp issues featuring Maori, their leaders wear their hair with small pony tails in that manner.
Todays stamp is issue A50, a one and a half pence stamp issued by New Zealand on January 27th, 1920. It was a 6 stamp issue in various denominations celebrating the Victory of the British Empire in World War I. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp was worth 55 cents used.
New Zealand immediately began a large scale mobilization when World War I broke out in Europe in 1914. Though New Zealand’s first action involved removing Germans from Samoa where their landing was unopposed, the bulk of the troops served in Europe and especially the unsuccessful Gallipoli campaign in Turkey. The mobilization was massive with over 10 percent of the population serving overseas. The casualties were catastrophic. Of the 100,000 who served, 16,000 died and 41,000 more were injured. I did a New Zealand ANZAC monument stamp here, https://the-philatelist.com/2018/02/16/new-zealand-expands-a-war-memorial/ . At first the force was all volunteer and was open to Maori tribesman. By 1916, conscription was introduced but not for the Maori. In 1917 the government tried to extend the conscription to Maori but faced strong opposition. No Maori was sent overseas as a conscript.
Self proclaimed Princess Te Puea was the niece of a Maori Chief who claimed to be their King and the daughter of an English land surveyor who busily maintained a Maori wife in addition to his English wife. Colonial life sure sounds hectic. Te Puea had a wild adolescence that included much drinking, fighting, and promiscuity. This left her unable to conceive a child, perhaps job one for a real Princess. Upon the death of her mother, she returned to her family and began pushing to have her title recognized by the New Zealand government and compensation of course for her myriad woes. She was a leader in the Kingitanga movement that not all Maori were a part of. She hit upon the attempt at Maori Army conscription and lead protests in Waikato, dramatically hiding Maori men from conscription that remember did not apply to them. The authorities suspected Te Puea of being really a German spy and pointed to German heritage on her families English side. Well that does sound royal.
After the war Princess Te Puea thought that living like a Queen might enhance her cause. She formed a steel guitar and hula band that toured named after a battle between Maori and colonials that the colonials rudely won. She also applied to the government for funds to build a Maori Royal Court. Her funds were later cut off after it was found that funds given her had evaporated. She tried to take a one/third income tax Royal tribute from Maori followers of the Kingitanga movement but of course trying to collect taxes from the Maori was a fool’s game.
Princess Te Puea fell into obscurity in her older years. She had fallen out with most other Maori leaders and made a big stink about New Zealand’s Centennial in 1940 when she was not given an equal footing with the British Governor General. She died in 1952.
Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast the memory of those of all heritages that served in World War I. I have had some fun here with this con artist Princess, but the real tragedy was in quickly hurrying of to war without considering the consequences. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.