Public Service Association roll of honour boards

Public Service Association roll of honour boards

Most roll of honour boards initiated by members of the Public Service were departmental – focused on the names of the men who died or served in a whole department or, if the department was big enough, a geographic region within that department. The only exception are the roll of honour boards put together by branches of the Public Service Association in Gisborne and Canterbury. These list the names of all Public Service Association members in these districts who served.

The Gisborne roll of honour board (pictured), unveiled in October 1920, was a large rimu board measuring nine by seven feet. It contained the names of 108 men from local departments who served in the First World War. The names of the 23 men who died were placed at the centre of the board under the heading ‘died in freedoms cause’ and framed by fluted columns. The board also recalled New Zealand Division battles.

The board was mainly funded by local members of the association. The Public Works Department contributed a small subsidy and  the board was made at its local workshop on the basis of sketches prepared by District Engineer C.E. Armstrong. The board was placed in Gisborne’s government buildings, where it remains today.

The Canterbury Public Service Association also put together a board which was erected in the Christchurch government buildings in October 1919. It contained the names of 132 men from local departments who served in the First World War; 16 of them had died:

 J. Rodgers of the Mental Hospitals Department constructed the board. It is not known what became of it.

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