Memorial to Miss Mary Dobie, Opunake, New Zealand - Citizen Memorials on Waymarking.com

From the local newspaper of the day, [Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVIX, Issue 3630, 13 January 1881, Page 2] the details of the memorial are...
"The monument to the memory of Miss Dobie, which has been erected at Opunake, stands eight feet high, is made of pure white marble, and consists of a square pedestal bearing a perpendicular cross with an encircling crown of thorns. The following inscription appears on the front side of the pedestal :— In memory of Mary Beatrix, daughter of Major H. M. Dobie, late of the Madras Army. Born December 22nd, 1850; died November 25th, 1880. This memorial is erected by the non-commissioned officers and men of the Armed Constabulary stationed at Opunake and Cape Egmont. December, 1880.

Mary Dobie, a skilful artist for the London Graphic, was the victim of a "cowardly and brutal" murder which was reported in the local newspaper of the time under the Headline
DREADFUL MURDER AT OPUNAKE.
A YOUNG LADY KILLED.
HER HEAD NEARLY SEVERED FROM HER BODY.
MAN ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF THE MURDER.

The particulars as reported in the newspaper [Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3601, 26 November 1880, Page 2] are that "Miss Dobie, a sister-in-law of Major Goring, of the A.C. Force, went for a walk Thursday afternoon, and as she did not return by dusk, a search party was sent out to look for her, when her body was found near Umuroa, a little off the main road, amongst the flax, with her clothes in great disorder, and with her throat cut — her head being nearly severed from her body. On the discovery of the body, it was difficult at first to connect the dastardly murder with any one, but after the body of the unfortunate young lady had been brought into the camp, suspicion somehow pointed to a man named Walter Stoddard, who, on it being discovered that he had blood upon his clothes and boots, was at once arrested on suspicion of being connected with the atrocious crime.

After further investigation, witness statements and the coroner's inquiry, a Maori, Tuhi Te Karea was arrested on account of having blood stained clothing and subsequently made a full confession.

The jury were then called on by the Coroner to give their verdict. After a few seconds of whispering, the foreman said that the verdict was — " That the deceased Miss Mary Dobie was wilfully murdered by the prisoner Tuhi (or Te Karea) on the afternoon of November 23, between the hours of 2 and 5 p.m."

On 29 December 1880 at 8 o'clock in the morning, Tuhi, the murderer of Miss Dobie at Opunake, was executed at Wellington Gaol.

Mrs. Dobie and her daughter (the young lady who has been so cruelly murdered) were about to proceed to England, but before taking their departure they went on a visit to Major Goring, who is married to a daughter of Mrs. Dobie. The ladies had made a long stay at the Opunake camp, and the young lady who has been murdered had made several sketching tours, even going to Parihaka, where she was most kindly received by Te Whiti and the natives. The visit to Cape Egmont camp had come to a close, and Major Goring escorted the ladies to Opunake previous to their leaving the district. It was surmised Miss Dobie must have gone to take a last view of Te Namu Bay, one of the most beautiful spots in the district, and of an evening, and when the sun was setting, the scene is a most magnificent one. For an artist, this spot would have more than usual charms, and no doubt wishing to see the place again for the last time she was attracted thither, not fearing that she would in any way be molested, but where it appears she has met with such an unnatural and untimely death.

Website with more information on either the memorial or the person(s) it is dedicated to: [Web Link] Location: Opunake Walkway on a headland of the Opunake Lake

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Date Logged Log User Rating   11/03/2010 Phronimos visited it