Welcome Sweet Peace: Returning home after the Great War
Lest we forget
Frank J Denton (1869-1963) , Mayor of Wanganui, Mr Hope Gibbons, placing soil from the battlefields of Belgium in the Māori Memorial, 25 April 1925, Black and white original negative, Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library, Reference: 1/1-017366-G
Lest we forget
The erection of a memorial was the most symbolic way for a community to remember loved ones who did not return home from the war. These memorials also acted as focal points to commemorate New Zealand's wartime achievements. The war had taken its toll: over 18,000 New Zealand soldiers had died, almost 6,000 of whom had no known graves.
Memorials were also regarded as symbols to educate future generations and they were often placed at entrances to school gates or even on school grounds. In many cases Anzac Day (25 April) and Remembrance Day (11 November) were chosen for the unveilings.
A key consideration was the type of memorial to be erected. Because of the economic downturn in the wake of the war, there was a push for utilitarian memorials such as halls, libraries, sports grounds and swimming baths that would serve the community.
In some cases, local materials or earth from an overseas battlefield were used to bind memorials closer to the community. The Featherston memorial was built using local river stones, and Belgian soil was entombed within the Māori memorial in Wanganui.
Permission of the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga O Aotearoa, must be obtained before any reuse of this image
