08.30.2011 - By Manatū Taonga - Ministry for Culture and Heritage (NZ)
A memorial at Mercer remembers two wars - one far away and one close to home. The memorial to First World War soldiers is built on top of the gun turret of the Pioneer, a naval vessel used by British forces in their 1860s war against Waikato Māori. The Pioneer transported troops and shelled pā (Māori fortified settlements) on the Waikato River.