Paeroa First World War memorial

Paeroa First World War memorial

The Paeroa First World War memorial was unveiled on Primrose Hill (Tui Kai Rangi) on 20 February 1930. Its design followed that of Edwin Lutyen's Whitehall cenotaph. On one side were affixed the dates 1914-1918, a bronze wreath, and the words THEIR NAME / LIVETH / FOR EVERMORE.

It was planned to deposit a parchment roll of honour listing the names of all local men who had served in the war either in the Council offices or in the town's planned new library. This does not seem to have been done.

The cenotaph is unchanged today, except for the additions of a plaque honouring service in later wars: World War II, Japan, Korea, Malaya and Borneo, Vietnam, Gulf conflict, Bosnia and Afghanistan; and a plaque commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing, unveiled on 25 April 2005.

See: 'War memorial: unveiling at Paeroa', Auckland Star, 17/2/1930, p. 8; '"The deathless army": memorial at Paeroa', Auckland Star, 20/2/1930, p. 8; 'Cenotaph unveiled', NZ Herald, 21/2/1930, pp. 21 [photograph, p. 10]; 'Paeroa's big day', Thames Star, 21/2/1930, p. 5; Graham Watton, 'Paeroa's memorials', Ohinemuri Regional History Journal, no. 48, September 2004.

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