Dominion Day’s 1st Anniversary, 26 September 1908
Military March of NZ Permanent Artillery, NZ Wars Veterans and Volunteers from the Government Buildings down Lambton Quay for Newtown Park at 2:00pm. Shows horses, carriages, bands, uniformed police, navy, army and cadets.
Fixed position of camera, middle of Lambton Quay facing corner of Whitmore Street towards Government buildings with parade moving out of Whitmore Street left to right of camera. Parade is led by D Battery NZ Artillery under Captain Petherick, some 70 strong, (Note: Bernard Freyberg was a volunteer in D battery in 1908). Four six horse gun carriages pass, with an ammunition carriage after each gun team, with outriders. Uniform is a mix of blue dress uniform and khaki. Seventh carriage’s horses are spooked by a dog. Shot continues with two wagon GS (general service) with a Clydesdale horse as one of the team.
NZ Wars veterans, 15 strong march past as police sergeant keeps back crowds. Garrison band, led by Lt Hurd is followed by Royal NZ Artillery, Permanent Force under Major Hume, 70 strong, then the volunteer companies of Wellington Navals (Capt Menzies) 90, Petone Navals (Lt Ellis) 55, Electric Light Co. (Capt AG Hume) 22. Wellington Engineers (Lt Gibbs) 44 Cycle Corps (Lieutenant Fountain) 18, each providing their own bicycle, as each horseman provided his own horse.
First Wellington Rifle Battalion marches past led by the Battalion Band with Band master Dean, as the dancing band master in front of his 27 strong band with the companies marching as follows:
City Rifles (Cpt Bsson) 37
Guards in their Bearskins (Capt J Duthie Jnr) 31
Kelburne Rifles (Capt Marshall) 41
Civil Service Rifles (Capt Marshall) 41
Wellington Pipe Band (about 15 with hangars on)
Highland Rifles (Capt McDiarmid) 53
and the so-called auxiliary companies of:
Hutt Valley Rifles (Capt Ross) 38
Boys Institute Cadets (Capt Harley) 39
Amokura Cadets (Capt Hooper) 40
and the cadet companies from Wellington College, St Patricks and other schools.
Many people are conscious of the camera, smiling and anxious to see themselves in the pictures.