Unveiled on 11 November 2006, the New Zealand Memorial in London commemorates the bond between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, especially our shared sacrifice during wartime. It is a symbol both of our common heritage and of New Zealand's distinct identity, and a gathering place for New Zealanders living in, or visiting, London.
Architect John Hardwick-Smith and sculptor Paul Dibble designed the memorial, known as ‘Southern Stand’. It consists of 16 cross-shaped vertical bronze 'standards' of varying heights set out on a grassy slope in Hyde Park Corner. Text, patterns, and small sculptures adorn each individual standard.
Design
The design of the memorial marks a field for the commemoration and celebration of the relationship between New Zealand and Britain in times of war and peace. The placing and attitude of the individual standards helps to communicate the military links between Aotearoa New Zealand and Britain. Their semi-grid formation calls to mind soldiers in procession, pouwhenua (carved post) markers around Māori ancestral sites, or Celtic remains such as standing stones.
Ten of the bronzes form an angled diamond-shaped grid, with a ‘leader’ standing in front of the lower point. This leader standard contains the dedication text and is the site for the laying of official wreaths. Six standards outside the main group form the shape of the Southern Cross constellation. Illuminated at night, the crosses seem like the southern stars, indicating the compass direction south and pointing the way home for New Zealanders abroad.
Two intersecting plates of bronze, cut on a diagonal plane at the top, form each standard. Viewed from a distance, they resemble crosses hanging in the air, evoking the atmosphere of a military cemetery. Patterns, words, raised images, cut-out shapes, and three-dimensional models in bronze cover the surface of the standards. These details evoke the themes of the memorial – New Zealand national identity, the long relationship with Britain, and shared sacrifice in times of war. The detailing includes the iconic silver fern, a manaia figure taken from traditional Māori carving, poppies around a quote from First World War soldier Barney Lucas, an iconic Kiwi farmer, New Zealand flora and fauna, Defence Force emblems, and references to New Zealand artists and writers.
More information
UK Memorial Pukeahu Park – NZHistory
New Zealand Memorial in London – Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Empire and Commonwealth – Te Ara The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Britain, Europe and New Zealand – Te Ara The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
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