The 2026 Whangārei RSA Anzac Day gathering in Maunu Cemetery. Photo / Sarah Curtis
The rare cancellation of Northland’s largest Anzac Day dawn service because of weather concerns meant official commemorations in Whangārei took on a different shape this year.
The local branch of the New Zealand Returned and Services Association’s (RSA) annual 10am service at Maunu Cemetery – usually attended mainly by families of service people buried there – drew a much wider crowd.
Up to 1000 attendees, including at least one pet dog, gathered among the graves and memorial plaques in a part of the picturesque cemetery grounds dedicated to returned service people.
Among those attending were people whose family service histories spanned generations, conflicts and countries, highlighting the deeply personal meaning Anzac Day continues to hold for people.
RSA president Brian Towgood had earlier told the Northern Advocate that while criticism over the cancellation of the earlier service was difficult, it was also a positive because it reinforced just how much Anzac Day commemorations still mean to New Zealanders.
And the turnout at the cemetery service certainly drew a focused and diverse crowd.
Denis and Judith Pothan were among the throng, wearing medals that reflected service across New Zealand and Britain.
Denis Pothan, a New Zealander and former Royal New Zealand Air Force serviceman, joined the Air Force at 18, enlisting before compulsory military training was introduced.
Trained as a carpenter, he served as an aircraft finisher, a role that included painting and sign‑writing aircraft, upholstery work and the enormous responsibility of packing life rafts and parachutes.
Parachute packers faced a potential manslaughter charge if a parachute failed, he said.
Pothan is proud of his military service career, saying he “did very well” during its 12-year span. His postings included Fiji during periods of civil unrest, service in Singapore during the Malaysian Confrontation and later responsibility for trade operations in Australia.
Judith Pothan, who is English, wore medals belonging to her grandfather and father.
Her grandfather Jaybez Kendall’s medals date back to World War I and include a Distinguished Conduct Medal, one of the highest gallantry awards available to non‑commissioned soldiers.
Aged 26, he was recognised for acts of bravery in which he single‑handedly rescued fellow soldiers and held a vital position under fire.
He was promoted to sergeant following the action, but was killed at the Somme in 1916, just four months after arriving on the Western Front, Judith Pothan recalled sadly.
Her father served as a cook with the British Army during World War II, his service taking him through Africa, and Italy.
He survived the war, returning home in 1946 after remaining overseas to assist with post-war duties.
She recalled a postcard her father had sent her mother from Africa “with palm trees and an inset picture of him – obviously something they did a lot for servicemen over there”, she said.
Former serviceman Graham Alexander watched proudly as members of the Whangārei Air Cadet and Whangārei District Army units – part of New Zealand’s Cadet Forces – carried out the key ceremonial roles, including the guard of honour.
Alexander served six years in the Regular Force, including two overseas tours to Vietnam, before completing a further 18 years with the New Zealand Defence Force and retiring with the rank of Warrant Officer First Class.
For more than 20 years since, he has continued to contribute as assistant staff training for the Whangārei cadets, of which Richard Harris is the commander.
Alexander said he was impressed by how numbers had grown in recent years, with about 80 Army and Air Force cadets now involved.
The presence of children carrying photographs of military relatives who are no longer alive was a poignant feature of the service.
Charlotte Mouat‑Hudson was there with her children Ezra, Penelope and Kimberley Boddy, holding a photograph of their father, Royal (UK) Air Force technician Matthias “Matt” Boddy.
A weapons technician who served for eight years, Boddy sadly died in December 2023, Mouat‑Hudson said.
The ceremony included an address by visiting Navy Commodore Brendon Clark DSD, alongside other dignitaries, before a wreath‑laying service to which the RSA, other returned services organisations, community groups, and local schools contributed.
Service attendees were also treated to the sight of a seven-plane formation flyover by pilots from the Whangārei Flying Club.
Pilot Josh Grant said the flyover was almost in doubt after heavy rain overnight, but conditions cleared just in time.
Grant said while the flyover, which has been done for the past five years, normally heads only to the Waipu service, this year the pilots decided it should also take in the Ngunguru and Maunu gatherings – and it was something the group hoped to continue in future, Grant said.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.