Reverend Jasper Calder unveiled the Grafton District School First World War roll of honour on 15 December 1919. The fine tripartite honours board had been designed and constructed by William C. Rose, a member of the school committee, and presented to the school by his children, Frank and Dorothy, both ex-pupils of the school, in August 1918.
The roll of honour listed the names of 357 former pupils who had served during the war. The names of seven members of the teaching staff were added later. A total of 49 men were listed as killed in action.
Grafton School was closed down in 1971. Its site in Nugent Street was taken over by the Auckland Education Board. The roll of honour was presented to the Auckland Museum. It now forms part of the permanent ‘Scars of the Heart’ exhibition.
Sources: ‘Honour Roll Unveiled: Grafton School Cemetery, NZ Herald, 17/2/1919, p. 8; ‘Grafton School Roll of Honour Unveiled’, Auckland Star, 17/2/1919, p. 9; Grafton School, 1877-1937, Diamond Jubilee, Auckland, 1937, pp. 28-30; Grafton District School, 1877-1967, Auckland, 1967, p. 44; ‘Last Day for Old School’, NZ Herald, 12/12/1971.
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