780 men of the 28th (Māori) Battalion arrived back home on the Dominion Monarch in January 1946. They were formally welcomed on Aotea Quay in Wellington and then took part in a huge feast. The scale and warmth of the welcome was a reflection of the pride which the achievements of the battalion had evoked both among Māori and in wider New Zealand society. Much of the feast was prepared by the Māori community of Porirua, which had increased considerably during the war as many Māori moved to the city for jobs.