The Pūrua district First World War roll of honour, a framed and hand-lettered scroll listing 34 names, was unveiled in the Purua hall on Anzac Day 1921. It was later joined by a hand-painted Second World War roll of honour with the names of 27 men and one woman. Both these rolls were recently removed from the hall for safekeeping and are currently in private hands.
The hall does preserve two interesting ‘pioneer’ memorials. In August 1943 the descendants of Nova Scotian immigrants who had settled in the area during the previous century planted 16 memorial trees at the junction of the Pipiwai and Riponui roads. These were marked by a marble memorial plaque inscribed as follows:
‘These Canadian trees / were presented / by the Govt. of Nova Scotia / as a memorial to the pioneers / who left that country / and settled in N.Z. 1851-9. / Planted by descendants / 28 – 8 – 43.’
The tablet now stands outside the Purua hall. Inside the hall is a brass plaque which was installed in February 1960, ‘In memory of the pioneers of Purua who erected this hall in the year 1897 [etc.]’
Sources: ‘Purua Memorial: Unveiling Ceremony’, Northern Advocate, 26/4/1921, p. 3; R.D. Finlayson, An Early History of Purua District, Kamo, 1960, pp. 13, 14-16; Purua School 75th Anniversary, Purua, 1968, p. 14.
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