Manurewa First World War memorial

Manurewa First World War memorial, school roll of honour boards and RSA roll of honour.

Manurewa First World War memorial

On 2 January 1921 Prime Minister William Ferguson Massey unveiled the Manurewa First World War memorial. This fine granite obelisk had been erected by public subscription outside Manurewa School on the corner of Great South and Hill roads. It was inscribed with the names of campaigns in which New Zealanders had taken part, the texts, “Their names liveth forever” and “Greater love hath no man”, and the names of 26 men from the district who had given their lives.

Prior to the opening of the new Infant School building on 8 September 1921, concrete gates were built at the entrance to the school, and on Anzac Day 1924 a memorial tablet was affixed to one of the four pillars of these gates.

For reasons of safety, the obelisk was moved from the edge of the road closer to the school gates in 1955. Plaques commemorating service in the Second World War and later wars were later added to the other pillars of the gates.

There are First World War and Second World War rolls of honour inside the school.

Manurewa school roll of honour boards

The Manurewa School First World War roll of honour was unveiled in the local public hall on 9 June 1918, but later transferred to the school. The roll of honour, carved and constructed by local craftsman E.D. Dalton, was inscribed with the names of 30 old boys of the school. The names of 20 old boys of Woodside School were added later, after an indignant local resident pointed out that the Woodside School had been moved from Woodside (Wiri) to Manurewa in 1906. The school, now known as Manurewa Central School, also has a Second World War roll of honour.

Some names on the First World War roll of honour are marked with a cross or a crown. The crosses identify men who died; the crowns seem to denote those wounded.

Sources: 'Manurewa News', Auckland Star, 12/6/1918, p. 7; 'Manurewa Roll of Honour Unveiled', Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, 14/6/1918, p. 2; 'School Roll of Honour' [letter], NZ Herald, 20/6/1918, p. 7; 'The Deathless Army: Tribute to the Fallen: Manurewa War Memorial', NZ Herald, 3/1/1921, p. 4; 'Manurewa Memorial', Franklin & Pukekohe Times, 7/1/1921, p. 4; ‘Manurewa Notes’, NZ Herald,  'Manurewa Monument: Plan for Removal', South Auckland Courier, 16/2/1955, p. 10; 'Manurewa Monument', South Auckland Courier, 23/2/1955, p. 6; 'Difficulty Over Manurewa Cenotaph Site', South Auckland Courier, 27/7/1955, p. 9; A.E. Tonson, Old Manukau, Onehunga, 1966, p. 196; Manurewa Central Primary School, 75th Anniversary, 1906-1981, Manurewa, 1981, pp. 5, 24; Gwen Wichman, Soaring Bird: A History of Manurewa to 1965, Manurewa, 2001, pp. 121-3.