Captain Francis Joseph Mace

Biography & Notes

A highly distinguished soldier and settler who was awarded the New Zealand Cross (the colony's highest gallantry award) for his bravery during the Taranaki Wars, particularly for his actions as a scout and dispatch rider at the Battle of Waireka near Omata. He arrived in Omata with his family in 1852 to farm, played a crucial role in the local militia during the conflicts of the 1860s, and later represented the Omata constituency on the Taranaki Provincial Council.