The colours are known as the King's colours, and belonged to the 1st Regiment, Otago Mounted Rifles (now the 5th Mounted Rifles). Some members of the Mounted Rifles took part in the South African war, and the names of the engagements in which they figured are inscribed on the colours, which, attached to a standard, are the King's colours, of silk, the design being the Union Jack.
The regiment left camp at Invermay at 8.30 o'clock in the morning and reached the Oval at a quarter to 12, the parade state being 18 officers and 305 men, under Colonel Logan, A.D.C., O.C.Regiment. At the Oval the regiment bivouacked, each man having been served before leaving camp with rations and feed for his horse. After this the men mounted and proceeded to the Octagon, where they formed up in two big half circles on the upper and lower sides of the Octagon. Then just on the stroke of two the trumpeters sounded a call and the officers of the regiment, bearing the colours in their midst, rode slowly round in front of the assembled men, all ranks being at the salute.
Colonel Logan and his officers then entered the cathedral, Colonel Smyth, O.C. the district, being also present.
Colonel Logan approached the altar rails and handed the colours to the Dean saying: "I present to you, Sir, the colours of my regiment to be kept in the custody of the cathedral chapter and the cathedral church."
Inside the altar rails there were Bishop Nevill, Dean Fitchett. Archdeacon Gould, Archdeacon Neild, Canon Woodthorpe, and Rev. V. King, who acted as chaplain to the bishop. The Dean took the colours. A verse of the National Anthem was sung with considerable heartiness, and Archdeacon Gould then offered up prayers suitable to the occasion.
• During the course of an address delivered at Featherston on Saturday, Mr J. G. Wilson, president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, remarked on the fact that the Featherston district was peculiarly adapted to the breeding of Romney Marsh sheep, and said that it was unrivalled in New Zealand in that respect. During an address at the Salvation Army Hall at Masterton, Major Colvin made an earnest appeal for increased parental control. As an instance of the result of young people being allowed to wander about the streets at night the Major stated that in the Christchurch Maternity Home at the present time there were two mothers only 12 years of age. - ODT, 23.5.1912
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
