National War Memorial (New Zealand)

The National War Memorial of New Zealand is located next to the Dominion Museum building on Buckle Street, in Wellington, the nation's capital. The war memorial was dedicated in 1932 on Anzac Day (25 April) in commemoration of the First World War. It also officially remembers the New Zealanders who gave their lives in the South African War, World War II and the wars in Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam.

The War Memorial consists of the War Memorial Carillon, the Hall of Memories, and an unknown New Zealand warrior interred in a tomb constructed in 2004 in front of the Hall of Memories.

Four Rolls of Honour bear the names and ranks of 28,654 New Zealanders. Lyndon Smith's bronze statue of a family group is the focal point for the complex, which is visited by approximately 20,000 people a year.

War Memorial Carillon

The National War Memorial Carillon was designed as a sister instrument to the 53-bell carillon at the Peace Tower in Ottawa, Canada.

The carillon bells were made in Croydon, England, by Gillett & Johnston, and arrived in New Zealand in January 1931.

Each of the original 49 bears a name or inscription, in memory of those who served. The three largest bells are dedicated to Anzac, Somme, and Palestine, the three main theatres in which New Zealand forces served. Other bells include: The Nurses bell, The Gallipoli 1915 bell, the Flanders field bell (dedicated in memory of Katherine Mansfield's brother, Leslie Beauchamp) and the Medical forces bell. The one bell not dedicated to a person or event from World War I is the Wellington's South African War Veterans' bell, which was inscribed two years after the original inscriptions took place.

At the time of dedication the 49 bells ranged from one weighing a shade more than 4 kg with a diameter of 170 mm and 140 mm high, up to one weighing 5 tonnes and measuring 2 m by 1.6 m. Their total weight was more than 30 tonnes and they cost £11,000.

The complex made considerable use of New Zealand stone. The carillon was clad with pinkish-brown Putaruru stone. Unfortunately the material was variable and weathered badly in places. It was removed from the carillon and replaced by Takaka marble in 1982.

Since 1984 the Carillon has been substantially rebuilt and enlarged. Twenty mid-range bells have been replaced with 21 smaller treble bells and 4 large bass bells, extending the total range to 6 octaves. The four bass bells were added in 1995 and are named "Grace/Aroha", "Hope/Tūmanako", Remembrance/Whakamaharatanga", and "Peace/Rangimārie". The Carillon currently has 74 bells, with the "Peace/Rangimārie" bell weighing 12.5 tonnes, making it the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The Carillon ranks as the third-largest in the world by total weight.

Anzac Day and specific battle commemorations have special places in the annual schedule of events. The Carillon is played in over 200 hours of live concerts per year and a comprehensive domestic and international carillon teaching programme is conducted under the direction of the National Carillonist, Timothy Hurd. Since the opening of the National War Memorial Carillon in 1932 there have only been four official carillonists: Gladys Watkins, John Randal, Selwyn Baker, and Timothy Hurd.

Hall of Memories

The Hall of Memories is approached through an octagonal vestibule forming the base of the Carillon Tower. Inside there are six memorial alcoves on each side leading up to an apse and Sanctuary at the southern end of the Hall. These alcoves are designed as small side chapels dedicated to the different branches of the New Zealand Armed Forces that have served in overseas conflicts.

The entrance to the Sanctuary is flanked on either side by two white stone columns, each surmounted with a bronze orb and cross and engraved with the coats of arms of members of the Commonwealth whose forces served in World Wars I and II. These coats of arms are linked by stylised branches, representing the tree of the Commonwealth. On each of the two side walls of the Sanctuary a large cross forms the background for the coats of arms of the main towns of the nine provinces of New Zealand. These crosses symbolise the sacrifices made by New Zealanders in times of war.

Mounted to one side of the Sanctuary is a Lamp of Brotherhood, one of 84 made after World War II to commemorate the war dead of all nations and to promote reconciliation and unity between nations.

Four Rolls of Honour, inscribed with the name and rank of each fallen New Zealander, are placed in bronze display cases on the east and west walls of the Sanctuary.

The Hall of Memories is lined with cream Mt Somers stone. Inside, Hanmer marble, Coromandel granite and Takaka marble are all used.

Unknown Warrior

To serve as a focus of remembrance for the sacrifice made by all New Zealand servicemen and women, in 2004 a project was undertaken to repatriate the body of an unknown warrior for burial in the new Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

The Unknown Warrior is one of over 250,000 New Zealanders who served in overseas wars. He is one of 30,000 who died in service. He is one of over 9000 who have no known grave or whose remains could never be recovered. The remains were chosen by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission from the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, near where the New Zealand Division fought in 1916.

As the soldier's name, rank, regiment, race, religion and other details are unknown, he represents and honours all New Zealanders who became lost to their families in war.

On Monday 1 November a New Zealand delegation departed for France to begin the process of repatriating the remains of the Unknown Warrior. A handover ceremony took place on 6 November at the New Zealand Memorial site near the village of Longueval, France. The ceremony marked the official return of the Unknown Warrior from the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission into the care of New Zealand.

On return to New Zealand on Wednesday 10 November, the Unknown Warrior lay in state at Parliament. Thousands of New Zealanders attended the vigil to pay their respects. A memorial service was held on 11 November at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, followed by a military funeral procession through central Wellington. More than 100,000 people lined the streets to the National War Memorial where an interment ceremony with full military honours took place.

The Warrior was finally laid to rest in the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior on Thursday 11 November 2004, Armistice Day.

The tomb is sealed with a bronze mantel bearing the words:

''The Man with the Donkey''

A bronze sculpture by Paul Walshe of Richard Alexander Henderson as ''The Man with the Donkey'' stands outside the National War Memorial. It is based on the photograph of Henderson taken at Gallipoli by James Gardiner Jackson on 12 May 1915, and is a "tribute to all medical personnel, stretcher bearers and ambulance drivers who served alongside New Zealand troops in wartime". Commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association, it was unveiled by Henderson's son Ross in 1990.

History

In 1919 the Government voted £100,000 for a National War Memorial in Wellington. After considerable debate, it was agreed to build a complex that included a national art gallery, museum, and war memorial, including a carillon in the central suburb of Mt Cook. A competition was held in 1929 for plans for the war memorial, and for the Dominion Museum and the National Art Gallery immediately behind it. The competition was won by Messrs Gummer and Ford.

The inscription on the foundation stone reads:

Work was completed for an Anzac Day 1932 dedication when Governor-General Lord Bledisloe switched on the Lamp of Remembrance atop the tower and the Evening Post reported hearing 'magic from the skies.'

Although the museum was opened in 1936, the planned Hall of Memories fell victim to first the Depression, then the Second World War. The first plans were prepared in 1937, and Gummer and Ford forwarded a new set in 1949, but the project did not go to tender until 1960. When tenders closed, the Christchurch firm of P Graham and Son (the same firm that built the carillon tower) was chosen, its tender being £114,000.

The hall of memories was officially opened by the Governor-General, Sir Bernard Fergusson, on 5 April 1964.

The Carillon's Putaruru stone had badly deteriorated by the late 1950s. Although repairs were approved as part of the Hall of Memories project, work did not finally begin until 1981–82. Among other things, a section of the campanile was replastered, Canaan marble replaced the Putaruru stone, and the metal louvres, window frames, and grilles were replaced.

In 1985 the Carillon, increased to 65 bells, was restored, ready for rededication in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II in the following year.

In 2004 the unknown New Zealand warrior was added; retired Army Colonel Andrew Renton-Green, who chairs the National War Memorial Advisory Council and the coordinating committee behind the tomb project, explains why it took so long:

In February 2020, the National War Memorial Building was closed to the public due to concerns about its resilience in an earthquake.

Pukeahu National War Memorial Park

Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, also known as Pukeahu Park, opened on 18 April 2015 in time for the centenary of the World War I Gallipoli landings, and was one of the New Zealand Government's key projects to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I.

In May 2004, Prime Minister Helen Clark said,

A park would further enhance the area which is already being redeveloped with the building of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. It will provide a more appropriate setting for New Zealand's memorial to those New Zealanders who gave their lives in times of war. Significant aspects of our heritage and identity were forged in difficult times of conflict...this is illustrated by the growing numbers of people who attend ANZAC Day services in New Zealand.

Arras Tunnel

In 2005, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage worked with the New Zealand Transport Agency to acquire land on the northern side of Buckle Street, in front of the National War Memorial, to create a National Memorial Park. In August 2012, the government announced that the Buckle Street section of State Highway 1 would be moved underground to a cut and cover tunnel beneath the Park, allowing it to extend over the old road area, creating a unified memorial precinct.

The tunnel opened to traffic on 29 September 2014, with the name of Arras Tunnel. The tunnel contains 273 decorative red poppies, to remind drivers that they are passing through a significant commemorative space. Arras Tunnel was named to honour the wartime efforts of the New Zealand Tunnelling Company in the French town of Arras during the Great War.

Artworks, memorials and sculptures

The park contains memorials from both New Zealand's military allies in addition to historic opponents.

Australian Memorial

The Australian memorial, designed by Australian architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, commemorates the significant military relationship between Australia and New Zealand. The memorial consists of fifteen red sandstone columns with various inscriptions and artworks by both Aboriginal and Māori artists. The memorial was opened in April 2015 by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Belgian Memorial

The Belgian memorial was designed by Belgian artists Niko Van Stichel and Lut Vandebos. Made of steel, the sculpture combines both a traditional symbol of victory, the laurel wreath, with a memorial wreath as a tribute to those who died in battle. A similar sculpture has been installed in East Flanders, Belgium. Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Didier Reynders attended a site blessing ceremony followed by outgoing Belgian Ambassador Jean-Luc Bodson breaking ground. Mauri stones and soil from Belgium were placed into the ground by Ambassador Mullie at a later September 2017 ceremony.

French Memorial

The French Memorial ''"Le Calligramme"'' was unveiled by French Minister for State Geneviève Darrieussecq and Minister of Justice, Courts and Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little in May 2018.

''Le Calligramme'' features an inscription of the words of French soldier Guillaume Apollinaire's 1915 poem 'Le Chant de l’Honneur' (Song of Honour). The memorial combines landscaping with two large elements made of local stone and crushed French Combe Brune stone from the Western Front. The memorial was designed by architectural firm Patterson Associates Ltd, with Paul Baragwanath and Suzanne Turley Landscapes.

German Tapestry

In November 2017, the President of Germany, Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier unveiled a memorial tapestry gifted on behalf of Germany while visiting the National War Memorial. Titled 'Flandern', the tapestry is based on one of a series of photographs of 14 First World War battlefield sites. The artist, Stephen Schenk, explained that the work was "a reminder of the untold misery and horror, and was created to remember the victims of this inconceivable catastrophe of the twentieth century."

Pacific Islands Memorial

A memorial honoring the service of Pacific islanders in the world wars and later conflicts was dedicated in March 2021, specifically honoring the service of overseas soldiers and the Coastwatchers. Titled ''Te Reo Hotunui o te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa'' (translating to ''The Deep Sigh of the Pacific''), the memorial features a large bronze sculpture of a conch (''Chicoreus ramosus)'' shell with remembrance poppies. Designed by Michel Tuffery, the sculpture was inspired by a conch shell found in a World War I-era tunnel in Arras, France that was inscribed by Private Angene Angene, a Cook Islander who served on the Western Front. The dedication was attended by the prime ministers of New Zealand and the Cook Islands Jacinda Ardern and Mark Brown. At the dedication, both prime ministers called for increased recognition of the military service of Pacific islanders.

Turkish Memorial

Unveiled in March 2017, this memorial features a free-standing bronze plaque with words of reconciliation widely attributed to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk cut through it. This allows the viewer to see a Turkish red pine (pinus brutia) descended from the original Lone Pine at Gallipoli, which is planted directly behind the plaque. The memorial was designed by New Zealand artist and Army Gunner Matt Gauldie.

United Kingdom Memorial

In July 2017, the United Kingdom Memorial was unveiled by the UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Boris Johnson. The memorial was designed and built by Weta Workshop with input from students at Massey University and the British Wimbledon College of Arts.

The design takes the form of two of the UK and New Zealand's most iconic trees. The trunks of a Royal Oak and a Pōhutakawa intertwine to form one single leafy canopy, where leaves from both trees merge to create sense of shelter – giving the memorial its name: Whakaruruhau. Standing at the plaque, between the branches a silhouette of a single soldier can be seen, representing the union of two countries who stood side by side and those millions who served in times of conflict, resolution and peace.

United States of America Memorial

On 10 December 2018, the U.S. Memorial representing the United States and New Zealand's shared history was unveiled, commissioned by the U.S. Government and the American Battle Monuments Commission. The memorial contains a granite tablet carved in Madison, Wisconsin, with the words taken from a radio addressed delivered on Anzac Day 1943, by the US Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox. It reads:

1918 Influenza Pandemic Memorial Plaque

On 6 November 2019 a memorial plaque for the victims of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic was unveiled at Pukeahu. The pandemic killed around 9000 New Zealanders. The plaque was designed by Neil Pardington and Wraight & Associates, and was unveiled by the Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Jacinda Ardern with historian Geoffrey Rice.

Awards

*New Zealand Indigenous and Specialty Timber Award – Resene Timber Design Awards 2015
*Public Architecture Award – New Zealand Archiecture Awards 2016
*George Malcom Award – New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects 2017

See also

*New Zealand War Memorial, London
*List of carillons
*United Nations Memorial Cemetery

References

External links

{{commons category, National War Memorial (New Zealand)
Pukeahu National War Memorial Park

1930s architecture in New Zealand
Art Deco architecture in New Zealand
Bell towers
Buildings and structures in Wellington City
Carillons
Cultural heritage of New Zealand
Spanish flu monuments and memorials
Gummer and Ford buildings and structures
Military of New Zealand
New Zealand military memorials and cemeteries
NZHPT Category I listings in the Wellington Region
Tourist attractions in Wellington City
World War I memorials in New Zealand
World War II memorials in New Zealand