his discharge and emigrated to New Zealand with his wife and stepdaughter. Here he was appointed Captain of the Auckland Militia in July 1863, and the following year as Captain of the Colonial Defence Force. He served at Hairini and Te Ranga in the Bay of Plenty and a redoubt near Tauranga, Pye's Pa was named in his honour. Following his discharge Charles Pye lived at Papakura then for a short time at Shortland (Thames) where he owned the Duke of Edinburgh goldmine. In 1875 he sailed to Australia, travelling to Kirkstall, Victoria Australia where he purchased his father's farm (his father having married again, had a second family in the district) in 1876 a month before he died on 12 July 1876. He is buried in the same cemetery as his three half brothers. His medals were donated to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Later life At the end of the Maori wars the Colonial Defence Force was stationed at Papakura where Charles was involved in the local community. He had been a far better soldier than a businessman as his bankruptcy attested. Following the disbanding of the Defence Force in 1866 and the opening up of the goldfields at Thames, Charles and his wife, Mary Ann moved to Karaka Hill, Shortland, Thames. He purchased the Duke of Edinburgh goldmine but was later led into speculating and lost heavily. By 1875, having discovered his father's address he sailed to Australia where they reunited after an absence of forty years. He was taken ill with bronchitis which proved fatal and was buried in the Tower Hill cemetery at Koroit near Warrnambool. Mary Ann Pye died at her son-in-law's home at Mangere on 31 December 1900 and is buried at the Mangere cemetery with her daughter and grandchildren. The farming locality of Pyes Pa, south of Tauranga, is named after him. Memorials honouring Captain Pye can be found at Stafford, UK (his birthplace) and Kirkstall near Koroit, Victoria (his deathplace). Gallery References Burial location of Charles Pye "Victoria, Australia" News item "Charles Pye's Victoria Cross donated to the Auckland Museum" External links 1820 births 1876 deaths People from Stafford British recipients of the Victoria Cross King's Shropshire Light Infantry soldiers King's Shropshire Light Infantry officers British military personnel of the First Anglo-Sikh War British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Sikh War People of the New Zealand Wars Indian Rebellion of 1857