Taradale war memorial sundial.
The Taradale rose garden of memories stands close by the Taradale First World War memorial clock tower, and across the street from the Taradale Plunket Rooms war memorial. Its development may have been planned at the same time as the Plunket Rooms, which were opened in 1952; however, a brass plaque screwed into the sundial in the middle of the garden reads: THIS MEMORIAL WAS UNVEILED BY / CAPTAIN H. KIRKWOOD O.B.E, D.S.C., BAR R.N. / AND DEDICATED BY / ARCHDEACON S.F.N. WAYMOUTH / ANZAC DAY 25TH APRIL 1958.
The sundial is inscribed on one side with the dedication, GARDEN OF MEMORIES / DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO FELL / 1939 – 1945; on another with the text, ENTER THESE GROUNDS NOT IN SORROW BUT IN PRIDE / TRY TO LIVE WORTHILY AS THEY DIED; and on the other two sides with a total of 19 names (cf. the 21 names of the fallen listed on the memorial wall across the street).
See: ‘Anzac Spirit Still Has Part to Play’, Daily Telegraph, 26/4/1958; Janet Gordon and Shirley Spence, Taradale: The Story of a Village, 1844-2000, Taradale, 2000, pp. 132, 144-5.
For more images and further information on this memorial visit the Napier City Council website.
Images: Napier City Council; additional images and text: Bruce Ringer, 2016