Biographies

CAPTAIN ERNEST HOLDAWAY (Enata Horowe) | Before and Beyond the River

Albert Arthur Ernest Holdaway (later known as Enata Horowe) was the youngest of 11 children born to Amelia and John Holdaway in Richmond, Nelson in September 1863. He became a soldier after being introduced to The Salvation Army by his future wife Lizzie Edwards. He trained for officership in 1885 and was appointed to the 'Flying Brigade' under the leadership of Captain Dave Pattrick, later in 1885. Their heights are noted as Holdaway, 6 ft. 2 in. with Pattrick, just over 5 ft. 6 in., in Te Ope Whakaora (ed. Hill) p.53. This Brigade was involved in the establishment of The Salvation Army in North Canterbury. While Holdaway was in The Brigade he met Hohepa Huria in Kaiapoi, also known as Joe Solomon or "Maori Joe", a convert to Christianity and significant Salvationist in the town. Meeting Hohepa impacted greatly upon Holdaway's future dedication to an evangelical ministry among Māori communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.

On 31 October 1886, Captain Holdaway with Cadet Grinling and Lieutenant Arthur Wilde, from Napier, arrived in Gisborne to begin the work of The Salvation Army. While he was stationed in Gisborne a significant number of conversions were recorded, including that of Maraea Moana Mahaki (Morris). Her story and forgiveness of Te Kooti, who had seized her and shot her husband, in a raid on Matawhero in 1868, appeared in The War Cry, 1 October, 1887. Holdaway's "contacts with East Coast Maoris reinforced his growing conviction that he should devote his life to work among the Maoris and, while convalescing after a bout of sickness, he wrote to headquarters offering himself for this work." Fight the Good Fight (Bradwell) p81. The Holdaways were appointed to the Whanganui River in June 1888.

Colonel Josiah Taylor wrote in The War Cry of 16 November 1889 "... he has won the respect and love of the Maoris up this river in a way that has enabled him to firmly plant the S.A. flag there. He has had to turn his hand to rowing the boat, gardening, etc. Tamatea has lent the army a piece of land to grow vegetables... The Adjutant has got it into a thorough order, and it is in fact, the best garden I saw." Colonel Taylor also described him as a 'doctor' and witnessed him providing such assistance to locals. As Holdaway had taught Te Reo for the last six months to the other officers in the area they were now able to be left in charge of Jerusalem and Parakino.

Taylor wrote that Holdaway translated, "with ease", and noted Holdaway's reply, "I always think in Maori", to a question asking him about his thought processes when using the two languages. The Colonel hoped that he will be able to train more officers in the future.

The Introductory Material section written by Cyril Bradwell and Harold Hill, for Te Ope Whakaora (ed. Hill) p28 clearly relates the importance of Holdaway to The Salvation Army's first interaction with Māori. "The key figure in this first phase of the Army's mission to Māori was Ernest Holdaway (1863 -1913). Jessie Munro, in her life of Suzanne Aubert, notes that 'he was very tall, very handsome, very keen and put a lot of intelligent effort into learning Māori'... Although Holdaway embraced ministry to Māori as his life's calling, he was able to spend just nine years directly responsible for The Salvation Army's Māori work in New Zealand: 1888-1894 and 1896-1899. Having to watch the Māori Division dissolved not once but twice must have been very frustrating for Holdaway, but being a good soldier he saluted and got on with whatever other assignments he was given, both in New Zealand and in Australia."

Much credit is given to Ernest Holdaway by Judith Binney in her foreword to Te Ope Whakaora (ed. Hill), she wrote, "It looks at the foundations of the Army among Māori, created largely through the energies and skills of Ernest Holdaway, a fluent Māori speaker..."

Brigadier Ivy Cresswell's account, Canoe on the River, appeared for the first time in The War Cry, in 1971, as a serial, with her research based on early War Cry reports and some Holdaway family material. It appeared as a book version In Te Ope Whakaora (ed. Hill), for the first time.

The final instalment of this 1971 serial, Number 38 is titled "Haven Eternal", and covers the final two years of Ernest Holdaway's life, after he was appointed as The Salvation Army's Commander of Tasmania, Australia in 1911. Cresswell recorded that his persistent ill health was evidenced by those working with him at this time and eventually weakness from pernicious anaemia caused him to a collapse at the beginning of 1913, when he was 49. Once he was fit to travel Holdaway was sent to Melbourne to receive medical attention and initially over the next few weeks his health improved. However on September 18, 1913 just days before his fiftieth birthday, while sitting up in bed he died. Some who knew him wondered at the difficulties he had endured in his early years of officership and Cresswell's biographical account ends with these words, "The doctor, too, was of the opinion that his health had been undermined by those early hardships on the river. But Horowe had no regrets. Each time he had replied, 'Yes but I would do the same again.' " He left behind his wife Agnes and seven children, the youngest aged only five years old.

Captain John Nicholls (Hoani Nikora)

The Colonel stated that Nicholls originated from Cornwell and was converted in 1880 influenced by The Revival Song Book of the Rev William Booth. After arriving in Auckland he joined The Salvation Army, and his earlier interest in missionary work was rekindled after reading and collecting articles, "...of the Maori work", from editions of The War Cry. He "felt an inexpressible compassion... His mind was now exercised about offering himself for the Maori war". Nicholls was accepted for "the Maori work and commissioned at the last Wellington Anniversary."

Lieutenant Wini Grey

Grey had come from a Catholic background but his past had been heavily impacted by the effects of alcohol. Descriptions of Grey almost drowning in the Waikato River several times when drunk are provided within the article. "Sir George Grey advised him to sign the pledge, which he did, but the first pub he came to, he broke it." However through contact with the Salvation Army in Onehunga, he was converted and was now in ministry on the river.

Lieutenant Charles Smith (Miti)

An account is given of Smith's bad temper and use of tobacco prior to his conversion, which occurred in Christchurch. "He applied for the work, and was accepted, and when stationed at Blenheim, got a strong desire to go into the Maori work... He says, God has blessed me here, and I feel it's just where God would have me be."

Lieutenant Thomas Rothwell (Ratawera)

While background information was not provided by the Colonel, we are told of Rothwell's dedication in offering himself for this ministry and he is quoted, "...the work has not been as fast as I thought it would but it has been more solid. I expected the Maoris would take to it with a rush, but did not think they would be so brave."