More Info →"Maoris' March Goal is in Sight"

Description: This image was taken by Manawatu Evening Standard press photographers and was published on October 13, 1975 with the caption "Faces were solemn as they trudged along."

It accompanied a New Zealand Press Association article, reproduced below:

“Wellington, Monday – Wellington motorists will long remember the march on Parliament by Maoris from many parts of New Zealand.

It took well over an hour-and-a-half to complete the Porirua-Wellington motorway stage, and it was a first and second gear drive for passing motorists.

Starting from Porirua at 7a.m. the long column, led by its flag-bearer wearing a Maori cloak, turned into the straight stretch toward Johnsonville a few minutes before 9a.m.

Trailing behind the flag-bearer was nearly a mile of marchers moving four abreast filling a south-bound lane.

Some late starters travelled by taxi to catch the main body. Groups of three and four jogged up to half a mile to make up lost distance.

Some of the marchers were obviously making the journey in physical distress.

EASY: Pre-school toddlers had a hard job keeping up with adults, and only infants in prams – more than 50 of them – had it easy.

As the marchers wended their way into Wellington, a party of 200 to 300 local Maoris waited at the foot of Parliament steps.

Many of the welcoming party carried small branches and plants which symbolised a welcome to the marchers.

Just before noon the welcoming party broke into chanting and song in preparation for the arrival of the marchers, who had decided to cut out the planned central-city march and head straight for Parliament.

The pace of the march had slowed in persistent rain to accommodate the many elderly people who joined for the final few miles.

OMEN: The March was orderly and, after fine sunny weather for most of the journey, the marchers were not deterred by the rain today. Instead, they saw it as an omen that the heavens were with them.

As they walked into Wellington, the march leaders, most of whom had come from Te Hapua, started singing the Matakite song.

Workers lined up outside factories, people leant out of office buildings, and traffic came to a near standstill.

The group’s ageing leader, Mrs Whina Cooper did not walk today, but every now and again drove past the marchers urging them onward. She was to rejoin [sic] the march in a wheel chair to lead it to Parliament.

Extra traffic officers from Porirua, Upper Hutt and Palmerston North were in Wellington for the final stage of the march.

WAIT: A Ministry of Transport spokesman said all cars would be on the job, and as many key intersections as required would be manned.

City Council buses were diverted, and temporary no-parking areas set aside as the marchers entered the city.

Parliament grounds were filling rapidly with people waiting for the marchers.

At nine o’clock there were already small groups of Maoris huddling together for shelter under the trees, and by midday there were more than 300 people present, with others pouring through the gates.

Most of the crowd were Maoris, but as lunch time approached more and more pakehas appeared, many intending to wait for the marchers.”