Waitaki Boys' High School's Hall of Memories is one of the country's more impressive war memorials. About 700 old boys served during the First World War, 119 of them dying, so at the 1920 Easter reunion it was decided to erect a special hall of memories. Oamaru architect John Forrester, son of Thomas Forrester who designed many of the town's best buildings, inspected many English public school halls before designing this Perpendicular Gothic structure.
Governor-General Jellicoe laid the foundation stone in 1923 and the Duke of York performed the official opening ceremony on 16 March 1927. The interior's stained glass windows, flags, plaques trophies, crests and other memorabilia honour the school's royal, vice-regal and military and other illustrious connections.
Waitaki Boys' High School memorial window.
Jock Phillips and Chris Maclean, c.1986
Waitaki Boys High School memorial stone
Greg Hall, 2006 (WW1 names); Gavin McLean, 2008 (WW2 names)
Find out more about the people listed on this memorial from Auckland Museum's Cenotaph database
Gavin McLean, 2008