Sarah Stirling

Musical Tours

Being "herself of Maori Extraction", in 1895 - immediately after training - she joined the Maori Party to visit Australia.

Their visit lasted until

their return in March 1896.

She was also part of a touring Maori Party in 1898 and 1900.

Her service included appointments

to corps at

Otaki,

Gisborne, Tauranga, Rotorua,

Oxford and

Rahotu -

mostly corps that were focused on ministry to Maori, her particular passion.

In 1902 or 1903, she wrote a letter to an acquantance in Australia, which was published in "All The World" with the title "Maoriland".

In it she talks of the difficulties and joys of working with the taranaki Maori, and talks of the Heroes who had won them over by humbly learning and taking on Maori customs.

In the letter, she also talks of the continuing faith of the Maori soldiers at Jerusalem Corps in Wanganui - that although the Army had retreated and taken the officers from them, it would return. She expresses her faith that the Army would resume their work among Maori.

Sadly, that never came to pass. Work specifically aimed toward Maori ground to a halt.

In 1904, Sarah feeling the Army had given up on Maori, resigned her commission to continue her ministry among Maori - unsupported by the Army. She later married the Rev. Munro, and continued to passionately support, advocate for, and teach, the Maori community.

From the Anglican archives...

What we already knew:

Hera [Sarah] Mary Catherine STIRLING of Bluff Southland

(1892-) member Salvation Army

(1895) lieutenant, (1897) captain, (1902-Aug 1903) ensign Salvation Army, officer with Salvation Army particularly keen to work among Māori, Otaki, Gisborne, Tauranga, Rotorua, soprano soloist with a Māori concert party in NSW Australia and later elsewhere in New Zealand

What we didn't know

(1903-) teacher in an Anglican Māori school in Whanganui area, residing for a while at Putiki

bilingual te Reo Māori and English, speaker at diocesan and other meetings including Mothers’ Union, Women’s Christian Temperance Union

(1909) ‘of Te Aute’ gave paper on the influence of women, Young Māori Party conference Rotorua

MARRIAGE:

married Nov 1910 (by Bishop AVERILL of Waiapū and Bishop WILLIAMS and the Revd F BENNETT, in Napier cathedral);

the bride was given away by the chief Mohi Te ATAHIKOIA of Pakipaki;

to MUNRO, HIMIPIRI [HUMPHREY] TE WHAREKAURI (KNOWN AS PIRI MUNRO)

born c1886 of Te ARAWA tribe grandson of the last tohunga of Te ARAWA

(1914) participated in setting up a women’s home St Mary’s Home Napier, and served on its central committee

(1922) lay member of diocesan synod Waiapū – the first woman member of a diocesan synod

born c1876 died 03 Aug 1950 age 74 [Rotorua] New Zealand,

12 Aug 1950 honoured as a heitiki and body lay in state St Faith Parish before funeral, placed in burial vault Rotorua