At the Battle of Waireka on 28 March 1860 Mace's service as a dispatch rider drew a lot of attention.
He married, raised a family and farmed in the Omata district and served on Taranaki's provincial council and then Ōakura Roads Board among other positions.
Mace died at Ōakura on 7 August 1927, aged 90, and was lauded in a glowing obituary, which noted he was "a brave and gallant officer and gentleman.
"[4][5] More recently, Mace's contribution was cast in a different context in Puke Ariki’s ‘Taranaki War 1860–2010 – Our Legacy Our Challenge – Te Ahi Ka Roa, Te Ahi Katoro’.
A panel in the 2010 exhibition observed that ‘by admiring and glorifying his actions, settlers and their descendants could celebrate their victories over Māori, and see them as right and good’.