World War One Memorial Project

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11 November 2008

The End of World War I: 11 November 1918

Posted by kirstieross under Collections Online, World War One Memorial Project | Tags: , , , |
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Almost 250 objects and images related to World War I held by Te Papa can now be viewed on online. Curators have chosen items with sentimental value or connected to the home front and the war’s aftermath in New Zealand, as well as those associated directly with the conflict and overseas theatres of war. Find out more about these items and their significance at http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/Theme.aspx?irn=647.

This work commemorates the anniversary of the end of World War I when, ninety years ago on 11 November 1918, the Armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany. You will also find some of Te Papa’s World War I collection items amongst similar content from other institutions around the country by searching Coming Home / Te Hokinga Mai:

 

9 May 2008

World War One Memorial Project Update

Posted by andrewlangridge under History, World War One Memorial Project | Tags: , , , , , , |
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We’re very impressed and gratified by the response so far to our World War One Memorial Project. Since its launch last month, we’ve had 95 images of New Zealand memorials contributed from all over the country.

The towns and cities so far represented are: Akaroa, Alexandra, Auckland, Cambridge, Eastbourne, Glenorchy, Hawera, Hokianga, Hunterville, Levin, Makara, Mangaweka, Matamata, Maxwell, Nelson, Opunaki, Pahiatua, Palmerston North, Patea, Picton, Pihana, Pirongia, Porirua, Portage, Rotorua, Shannon, Taihape, Te Aroha, Waverley, Wellington (National War Memorial, Brooklyn, Ataturk Memorial), and Woodville.

Have a look at the images on our Flickr site.

Many thanks to everyone who has participated to date. This is a long-term project, so we hope you’ll keep photographing New Zealand’s war memorials and posting them on Flickr, particularly if you live in an area that hasn’t been represented yet.

 

15 April 2008

Trees as war memorials

Posted by kirstieross under History, World War One Memorial Project | Tags: , , , |
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Not all war memorials are monumental or made from marble. While I was reading Ann Beaglehole’s Eastbourne: A History of the Eastern Bays of Wellington Harbour, I discovered details of trees planted by the community to remember World War One (WWI) and those who lost their lives.

In July 1916 two pohutukawa trees were planted on the corner of Oroua and Rata Streets to mark the landing of Anzac troops at Gallipoli. The one tree that survived became known as Eastbourne’s Anzac Memorial Tree, and is regarded as the oldest Gallipoli memorial in New Zealand.

Eastbourne Anzac Memorial Tree 

Eastbourne’s Anzac Memorial Tree on the corner of Rata and Oroua Streets. Photograph by Michael Fitzgerald, 13 April 2008.

Two other memorial trees – kauri – were planted in private gardens in nearby Nikau Street, to mark the deaths of local men. One was for Second Lieutenant Harry Oswald Furlong Marsden, killed in action in October 1917 during the Battle of Broodsiende, in Belgium, part of the Passchendaele offensive.

The other memorial kauri tree was planted for Sergeant Hubert Earle Girdlestone. He lost his life in August 1918 during the Battle of Bapaume, in France. The battle was part of the successful initiative that broke through the German trench system.

If anyone has photos of these memorial trees, we’d love you to add them to our WWI memorial project at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/ww1memorialsproject/

 

14 April 2008

The World War One Memorial Project

Posted by andrewlangridge under History, World War One Memorial Project | Tags: , , , , , |
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Brooklyn War Memorial, Wellington

One of the topics we’ll be exploring in the upcoming 20th Century History exhibition will be the impact of First World War deaths on New Zealand society.

More than 18,000 New Zealand soldiers died overseas during the war, but very few of their bodies came back, so the way in which their sacrifice was memorialised was very important for their family and friends back home. All over New Zealand, communities responded by building memorials to their local dead: more than 500 statues, obelisks, arches, civic buildings, and other monuments were dedicated to their memory.

We’d like to commemorate the spirit behind these memorials by asking communities of today to photograph their local World War One memorials. We will then present these photos – as a large-scale slideshow – in the 20th Century History exhibition.

If you’d like to contribute a photograph of your local World War One memorial to the exhibition, it’s easy.

To make the memorials look their best, the images need to be high-resolution (the minimum is 1024×768 pixels; more would be even better), in portrait format, preferably on their own, without people (though you’re welcome to send us lots of other kinds of shots as well). The photo above is an example of what we’re looking for. You can find your local memorials listed on nzhistory.net’s Memorials Register. And if you know of a World War One memorial that’s not on the register, please let us know.

We’ve created a group dedicated to the World War One Memorial Project on the photo website Flickr. More information about the Project can be found there, along with other examples of the kind of images we’re looking for. You can post your photos on the site and tell us about your experience of taking them. The forums attached to this Flickr group can be used to organise your photo session with other people in the area. You can also get in touch with your local RSA for information about local memorials and Anzac Day activities.

Although Anzac Day is a great time to memorialise your memorial, you can take your photo any time. At the end of April, we’ll let you know how it’s gone and what memorials (if any!) we would still like photographed.

If you have any questions about this project, post a response here, or contact us at: nzhistory@tepapa.govt.nz