PukeahuThe sacred hillPukeahu National War Memorial Park is the national place for New Zealanders to remember and reflect on this country’s experience of war, military conflict and peacekeeping, and how that experience shapes our ideals.The park opened in time for Anzac Day 2015. It was the Government’s key project to acknowledge the centenary of the First World War. The park is also a place for memorials from countries with which New Zealand has a shared military heritage.The National War MemorialNational War Memorial building closed for workThe National War Memorial Building and Carillon tower are currently closed, except for commemorations and ceremonies, while we seismically strengthen the Carillon Tower. The rest of Pukeahu National War Memorial Park is open. Image Photo: Carillon Tower, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage The National War Memorial Building and Carillon Tower are currently closed while we carry out earthquake strengthening work on the tower. The rest of Pukeahu National War Memorial Park is open.The National War Memorial commemorates all New Zealanders who died or served in the South African War, first and second world wars, post-war conflicts and peacekeeping operations.The National War Memorial comprises two buildings: the original carillon structure, which was completed in 1932, and the Hall of Memories, which opened in 1964 after delays in construction due to the 1930s Depression.On Armistice Day, 11 November 2004, New Zealand’s Unknown Warrior was buried in front of the carillon. The body was returned from Longueval, in northern France, where he had died during the First World War.The Carillon Tower Image Photo: Inside the Carillon, Alan Knowles At 51 metres in height, the National War Memorial’s Carillon Tower has been a prominent landmark on the Wellington skyline since it first opened on Anzac Day 1932.The music from the campanile (bell tower) has contributed to the remembrance of war, conflict, and peacekeeping since 1932.Within the tower, the 75-bell carillon weighs more than 70 tonnes and is the third largest such instrument in the world. The original 49 bells were paid for by private donations and are inscribed with the names of First World War casualties, military units or specific battles. Another 25 bells were added later. In 1995, to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, four large bells were added: Aroha (Grace), Tūmanako (Hope), Whakamaharatanga (Remembrance) and Rangimārie (Peace).What is a Carillon?A carillon is the largest musical instrument in the world. It has at least 23 bells and is usually housed in a campanile (bell tower). The bells are tuned so they produce a melody when played.The carillon is played by a keyboard (or clavier). This consists of rows of wooden keys which the carillonist plays with their hands and feet. The keys are connected to a system of levers, wires and pulleys, which cause a clapper (or arm) to strike the bell. The bells are bolted to an iron frame and do not move. This mechanical action means the carillon’s volume depends on how hard the clavier is struck.The carillon is played regularly on ceremonial occasions and for state visits.Bells of remembrance (NZHistory)Hear the CarillonHear Carillonist Timothy Hurd QSM play the bells in this short video, 'The Carillon - Amaryllis'. Wellington City Council commissioned Storybox to produce this video as part of the Wellington's Bell Stories project. Remote video URL The Saint Lazarus Memorial Organ Image Photo: St Lazarus Organ, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage The Saint Lazarus Memorial Organ sits on the mezzanine floor above the main entrance of the carillon. It was designed by Henry Erben.The organ was gifted to the National War Memorial by the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem in 2007. It was unveiled by the Governor-General at a special ceremony on 18 October 2007.The gift marked the 75th anniversary of the dedication of the memorial which commemorated all medical personnel of the New Zealand Defence Force.The Hall of Memories Image Photo: Hall of Memories, 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Cassino, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage The Hall of Memories pays tribute to all the New Zealand service people who have been killed in wartime and holds the New Zealand Roll of Honour.The sides of the hall have 12 recesses or mini-chapels, each with its own remembrance plaque dedicated to the New Zealanders who served in wars. The recess commemorating the Second World War Expeditionary Force contains a three-panelled Māori carving known as Tāhiwi. This was presented by Gallipoli veterans in honour of the Māori Pioneer Battalion.The hall’s centrepiece is Lyndon Smith’s statue, ‘Mother and Children’. This depicts a wartime family giving each other comfort and hope in the absence of a loved one who is overseas.The hall’s stone walls, soaring columns, stained-glass windows, recesses and sanctuary provide a quiet and contemplative space to remember and reflect.Hall of Memories (NZHistory)For the Fallen - Laurence BinyonWords from Laurence Binyon’s poem ‘For the Fallen’ are set within bronze on the rear wall of the sanctuary.Age shall not weary themNor the years condemnAt the going down of the sunAnd in the morningWe will remember them.Tomb of the Unknown Warrior Image Photo: The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior contains the remains of an unidentified New Zealand soldier exhumed from Caterpillar Valley Cemetery in the Somme region of northern France. The soldier is one of 9000 New Zealanders killed overseas with no known graves and represents all New Zealanders who have died in wartime.The unknown warrior’s simple white headstone carried the words ‘A New Zealand soldier of the Great War known unto God’. He was reinterred at the National War Memorial on 11 November 2004.The tomb was designed by sculptor Kingsley Baird and is made of marble, granite, pounamu (greenstone) and bronze. The design was inspired by the Southern Cross constellation, the stars which guide the warrior back home to New Zealand.Karanga textEngraved around the base of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior are the words of a karanga (a call of greeting), in both Māori and English, calling the warrior back to his homeland. A cloak of bronze, decorated with four inlaid pounamu crosses, refers to the New Zealand flag.Te mamae nei a te pōuri nuiTēnei ra e te tauAue hoki mai ra ki te kainga tūturuE tatari atu nei ki a kou touNgā tau roaI ngaro atu ai te arohaE ngau kino nei I ahau aue taukuri eThe great pain we feelIs for you who were our futureCome back return home,We have waited for youThrough the long yearsYou were away. SorrowAches within me.More informationCommemorative booklet for the Tomb of the Unknown WarriorGareth Phipps, ‘Bringing our boy home: the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, its visitors, and contemporary war remembrance in New Zealand.’ MA thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, 2009 The Man with the Donkey Image Photo: Man with the Donkey, Mark Tantrum The Man with the donkey was inspired by the actions of New Zealand stretcher bearer Richard Henderson and his donkey at Gallipoli in 1915.Designed by Paul Walshe, the sculpture pays tribute to all the medical personnel, stretcher bearers and ambulance drivers who have served alongside New Zealand troops in war. It was commissioned by the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association in 1990.Memorials and historic sites within the parkSurrounding the National War Memorial, Pukeahu Park contains historic sites, memorials from other countries, and public space you can visit any time. Image Photo: Aerial view of Pukeahu, Armistice Day 2018, Mark Tantrum, Elias Rodriguez Taranaki Street to Tory Street(Western terraces)The following memorials can be found in the part of the park in front of the National War Memorial.Ngā Tapuwae o te Kāhui MaungaThe Footsteps of the Ancestors Image Photo: Ngā Tapuwae Kahui Maunga, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage This garden reflects the long relationship Māori have with this place. Pukeahu means sacred hill and is the original name for this area. The three rocks represent the mountains Taranaki, Ruapehu and Tongariro, collectively identified with a pre-tribal grouping known as Te Kāhui Maunga. Inlaid into the wall on the east side are orange bricks that were made in the prison which stood on Pukeahu. The garden was designed with Te Ātiawa – Taranaki Whānui.Hinerangi Image Photo: Hinerangi, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage The bronze kuia (female elder) sculpted by Darcy Nicholas stands ready to karanga (call). Hinerangi faces the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, and the mountain Aoraki (Mt Cook) in the South Island. In Māori tradition, when people pass on, their spirit crosses over the ancestral hills and mountains to pay homage to those remaining in the physical world before returning and departing in the north.The Australian memorial Image Photo: Australian Memorial, Mark Tantrum The Australian memorial commemorates the long and close relationship between the people of Australia and New Zealand.The 15 red, sandstone columns represent the heart of Australia. Each column stands on a band of red stone; with the bands of grey stone between them representing the New Zealand landscape. The interlacing of the contrasting bands of stone symbolises the close relationship between the two nations. Inscribed on the black granite insets on seven columns are the names of the main locations and military operations in which Australians and New Zealanders have served alongside one another.Seven other columns feature artwork of the indigenous peoples of both countries. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from Balarinji Designs Studio (Sydney) depicts cultural artefacts and aspects of war and peace. The artworks by Jacob Manu Scott acknowledge tikanga Māori (Māori customs).The Australian Memorial (NZHistory)The Turkish memorial Image Photo: Turkish Memorial, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage The Turkish memorial is a reminder of Republic of Türkiye and New Zealand’s shared history of conflict as well as celebrating the long-lasting friendship between our two countries. The memorial was designed by the official New Zealand Defence Force artist, Matt Gauldie.The memorial consists of a reddish-brown, polished concrete plinth inset with stones from the beaches of Gallipoli. Its bronze plaque has the famous message to the mothers of Anzac soldiers which is attributed to Kemal Atatürk. The inscription links this memorial to the Atatürk memorial on Wellington’s south coast.Behind the memorial stands a Turkish red pine cultivated from seed from the famous Lone Pine at Gallipoli.The Turkish memorial (NZHistory)Memorial textThose heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives, you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side in this country of ours.You, the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears, your sons are now lying in our bosoms and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they become our sons as well.The United Kingdom memorialWhakaruruhau(Shelter) Image Photo: UK Memorial, Mark Tantrum The United Kingdom memorial, entitled Whakaruruhau, depicts intertwined pōhutukawa and oak trees. The shape of the tree canopy evokes a bird taking flight and is meant to be aspirational, while the branches form the negative silhouette of a soldier to represent all who have served and continue to serve to protect our freedom.The memorial acknowledges and celebrates the partnership and shared sacrifice of New Zealand and the United Kingdom in times of war, conflict resolution and peace.It was designed by the Wimbledon College of Arts in London in collaboration with Wellington’s Massey University and Weta Workshop designers.More informationThe memorial’s multicoloured canopy is lit at night from underneath and by the sun during the day and has been likened to being in a church with stained-glass windows. The memorial has been designed for people to enjoy being under it and sitting near it, as they would with a real tree.It has been built to withstand Wellington’s fierce winds, constructed with mild steel, bronze and polycarbonates. At 7 metres-long, the memorial’s canopy weighs 2.5 tonnes, and its trunks 1.7 tonnes. It is one of the largest sculptures Weta Workshop has ever created and needed a team of 100 crew members to bring the concept to life.UK Memorial (NZHistory)The French memorialLe Calligramme Image Photo: French Memorial, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage The French memorial symbolises the enduring friendship between New Zealand and France which was strengthened by our experience as allies in the First World War and subsequent conflicts.Designed by Patterson Architects of Auckland, the memorial’s architectural elements are made from Caen stone from northwest France. Engraved on the central stones is Guillaume Apollinaire’s poem ‘Le Chant de I’Honneur’. The poem’s five verses are displayed on five interconnected forms inlaid into the memorial’s polished surface to reflect the sky.The memorial also includes extensive landscaping featuring two large stone elements made of local stone and crushed French Combe Brune stone from the Western Front. An audio and light presentation help to tell the memorial’s story.The French Memorial (NZHistory) Image Photo: Pukeahu then and now, Wellington City Council Tory Street to Cambridge Terrace(Eastern terraces)The following memorials can be found on the other side of Tory Streettowards Cambridge Terrace.The Belgian MemorialTe Rau Puapua Whakamaumaharatanga(Laurel Memorial Wreath) Image Photo: Belgian Memorial, Mark Tantrum The Belgian Memorial combines Belgian and New Zealand features to evoke our shared bonds of friendship. The design consists of a wreath of olive leaves, an internationally recognised symbol of peace. The ‘Flanders Field’ poppy and New Zealand foliage appear at the centre of the wreath.The sculpture is made from Corten steel, which weathers to create a bronzed effect while providing long-term protection from the elements. The wreath appears to sit directly on the grass, the simple landscaping enhancing the impression created by the delicate steel-leaf design.Two well-known Belgian public artists Niko Van Stichel and Lut Vandeboser designed the sculpture. It is similar to one installed in Merelbeke in East Flanders, a town which was extensively bombed during the Second World War.Belgian Memorial (NZHistory)The Pacific Islands memorialTe Reo Hotunui o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa(The deep sigh of the Pacific) Image Te Reo Hotunui o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa means the deep sigh of the Pacific. This memorial represents New Zealand’s enduring friendship with the Pacific Islands and the service of Pacific Islanders in support of New Zealand in the two World Wars and later conflicts.The design depicts a bronze conch shell, a symbol deeply rooted in Pacific cultures. The shell has a patina finish with remembrance poppies. It recalls the conch shell left in the Arras Tunnels by Kuki Airani (Cook Island) soldiers of The New Zealand Tunnelling Company and the New Zealand (Māori) Pioneer Battalion, who were stationed beneath the town of Arras, France during 1916 to 1918.Pacific Islands Memorial (NZHistory)The United States of America memorial Image Photo: US Memorial, Elias Rodriguez This memorial was commissioned by the US Government and the American Battle Monuments Commission, which commemorates the service, achievements and sacrifice of America’s armed forces who have served overseas.It was designed by Monica Ponce de Leon, a Venezuelan-American architect, supported by Landworks Studio and Wellington architect Sam Kebbell. Its design reflects modern ideas of memorials as places for quiet thought and reflection, rather than monumental objects designed to guide the viewer’s reactions.The memorial’s entry leads visitors up via a spiralling slope around a gentle mound to a sloping granite tablet. On the tablet is the text from a speech by Frank Knox, the US Secretary of the Navy, on Anzac Day 1943:“Together, in our strength, we shall keep that ocean – Pacific! ... As we are comrades in battle, so we shall be partners in victory. I salute the lands of the ANZACs as our companions in the peace that will follow, comrades and partners as an example to all the world of what can be accomplished by a fraternity of free men.”US Memorial (NZHistory)Queen Elizabeth II Pukeahu Education Centre Image Photo: QEII Education Centre, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage Located in the former Home of Compassion Crèche is the Queen Elizabeth II Pukeahu Education Centre which was opened in 2016. The former crèche has been lovingly restored as a classroom, library and exhibition space and is the home of the Pukeahu Education Programme.The programme provides opportunities to consider the ongoing relevance and significance of historic places like Pukeahu to New Zealanders in the 21st century. It enables visitors to explore the concepts of remembrance and commemoration, and what Pukeahu tells them about their society and its future. The programme is free and can be tailored to suit the school or desired learning outcomes.Education at Pukeahu (Te Akomanga, NZHistory)Home of Compassion CrècheLocated at the eastern side of Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, the former Home of Compassion Crèche was built in 1914 and was one of New Zealand’s first buildings to be dedicated to childcare.It was designed by architect John Swan so the Sisters of Compassion could continue the pioneering crèche service begun by their founder, Mother Aubert. A plaque outside the building acknowledges the contribution of Mother Aubert to the city of Wellington.More informationHome of Compassion Crèche (NZHistory)Crèches and early childcare including the Home of Compassion Crèche (NZHistory)Home of Compassion Crèche (Heritage NZ)Mary Joseph Aubert biography (Te Ara)1918 Influenza Pandemic Memorial Plaque Image Photo: Influenza Memorial, Mark Tantrum The 1918 influenza pandemic claimed about 9,000 lives in New Zealand, including 2,500 Māori. No event has killed so many New Zealanders in such a short time. The memorial plaque at Pukeahu remembers those who lost their lives and acknowledges the health professionals and volunteers who risked their lives to care for the sick.The memorial features a graphic representation of the scale of the pandemic’s impact across New Zealand regions from north to south. Its zinc appearance was chosen to recall the zinc sulphate inhalation sprayers used to treat people during the pandemic. The stencilled form of the text references the labelling on medical supply crates. The memorial was designed by Neil Pardington and Wraight & Associates.The location of the memorial plaque — in front of the Queen Elizabeth II Pukeahu Education Centre — was selected for its association with the First World War, and its proximity to other sites connected with the pandemic and specifically Pacific Island countries.The 1918 Influenza Pandemic (NZHistory)The landscape of Pukeahu Image Photo: Planting at Pukeahu, Wraight and Associates The vision for Pukeahu as a landscape is one that evokes, supports and hosts commemoration.The plan was developed by using the site’s topography as a starting point, with the carillion as a focus on top of the hill and the former crèche building creating a bookend at the eastern entrance. Between are the terraces running up to the hill where spaces for memorials have been created. The terrace spaces are an important link to the past as this is where Māori developed their gardens for the pa site on the hill above. Planting the park, which can be hit by both the southerly and the dominating northerly wind, required careful thought. Natives, including pōhutukawa, northern rātā and kōwhai have been planted on the eastern side and imported species like Chinese Elms, olives and a single Gallipoli pine on the western side. In the central area you can find red tussock and flax lily mixed with red carpet roses which flower during Anzac Day celebrations. The white flowering rengarenga lilies and Chatham Island forget-me-nots flower in time for Armistice Day in spring. Around the lawn terraces are ferns, New Zealand iris, hebe, low mānuka and creeping fuchsia. An orchard of heritage fruit trees, including apple, pear and plum, has been planted beside the former crèche building as a tribute to Catholic sister and social worker Mother Aubert.Pōhutukawa at Pukeahu Image Photo: Pōhutakawa, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage If you take a walk around Pukeahu you’ll notice the many pōhutukawa trees growing on the hill. These trees, which erupt with beautiful red flowers in summer, were planted here with a purpose. When the National War Memorial Carillon was dedicated in 1932, Pukeahu was a barren hill. Through the years there has been an effort to replant the hill and surrounding areas.Pacific Island people celebrate their warriors with red flowers; and so, in recognition of the Pacific Island soldiers who died in the war, Te Ātiawa iwi planted pōhutukawa all over the city of Wellington, in particular at the National War Memorial, so that the trees would bloom red flowers to welcome the warriors home.Tree planting at Pukeahu1935 - on 7 August 1935 Governor-General Lord Galway and his wife, Lady Galway, planted two pōhutukawa trees the base of the carillon.1936 - A further 16 pōhutukawa trees were planted at the carillon in 1936 to commemorate 16 men of the HMS Philomel, New Zealand’s first warship, who died during the First World War.1938 - through a government employment scheme, more trees were planted on the eastern bank of the hill. At least 500 pōhutukawa were planted on 19 May 1938, with the Wellington Beautifying Society supplying all the trees as part of 1,000 trees and shrubs donated to Wellington City Council.1945 - On Arbor Day 1945, after the war in Europe ended, a great many pōhutukawa were planted all over Wellington, including on Pukeahu.1970 - redevelopment of the gardens at the National War Memorial also included further planting of pōhutukawa.1995 - By the 1980s the Dominion Museum and National Art Gallery had outgrown the building. When they moved to a new building on the waterfront, becoming the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, a pōhutukawa tree went with it, recognising the importance of the trees on Pukeahu. Welcoming our Warriors Home - Wellington's Pohutakawa (NZTA)Living Memorials - Pohutakawa at the National War MemorialOther significant sites near the parkArras tunnel Image Photo: Arras Tunnel at night. Arras Tunnel was named to honour the wartime efforts of the New Zealand Tunnelling Company in the French town of Arras during the First World War. The tunnel passes under Pukeahu National War Memorial Park and was opened to traffic on 29 September 2014.Scattered along both walls of the tunnel are 273 decorative red poppies, a symbol of remembrance. The poppies become more densely packed as you pass the National War Memorial, reminding people they are passing through a significant commemorative space.Tunnelling Company (NZHistory)Parihaka memorial Image Photo: Parihaka Memorial, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage Parihaka memorial remembers the prisoners from Parihaka, in Taranaki, who were held at Mount Cook Barracks in 1879 and later sent to South Island gaols. Located on the north-west corner of the old Dominion Museum building, the memorial’s main stone symbolises a prisoner wrapped in a blanket, with a bowed head. Stones gathered from streams in Taranaki form the base and represent the prisoners. The white pebble stones inset into the paving refer to the lost genealogy of the men taken who died in the prisons. The spiral also symbolises the journey the prisoners took from Taranaki to the South Island.Parihaka memorial is sited in the grounds of Massey University, Wellington campus. For any issues to do with this memorial please contact Massey directlyContact (Massey University)Dominion Museum Image Photo: Old Dominion Museum, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage The impressive classical National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum building, behind the National War Memorial, was once the home of some of New Zealand’s most treasured artefacts.The building is now part of Massey University, Wellington campus. For any issues to do with the building please contact Massey directlyContact (Massey University)General Headquarters building Image Photo: General Headquarters building, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage The former General Headquarters building is the only remaining military building on a site that has more than 170 years of military history. It is one of only three surviving Defence Department buildings of that era – the other two are in Dunedin.The building was part of a military complex that extended from Tasman Street to Taranaki Street and included the hilltop of Mount Cook (Pukeahu). Together with the Mount Cook Police Station (1894), the General Headquarters building anchor the military history of the area into the modern urban landscape.The General Headquarters building (Heritage NZ)Mount Cook Police Station Image Photo: Mt Cook Police Station, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage One of the many historic buildings on Pukeahu is the Mount Cook Police Station, on the corner of Buckle Street and Tasman Street. This two-storey brick building, with distinctive striped arches above its windows, is one of New Zealand’s oldest purpose-built police stations. It is privately owned.Mount Cook Police Station (Heritage NZ)