On 1 March 1946 Ngāhinapōuri residents Neil and Gracie Reid presented 5¼ acres of land to the residents of Ngāhinapōuri and Tuhikaramea, in memory of their son Pilot Officer Stewart Walter Reid, who had been killed on active service on 28 February 1942. This became known as Stewart Reid Memorial Park. Stewart's brother and sisters later erected memorial gates at the entrance to the park and the Ngāhinapōuri war memorial was erected by public subscription within it. A total of 34 memorial trees were also planted in the park, one for each man from the district who went away to serve in the Second World War.
The inscription beside the memorial gates reads: THESE GATES / WERE ERECTED BY / GWEN, DOROTHY AND ERIC. / IN LOVING MEMORY OF / THEIR BROTHER / PILOT OFFICER / STEWART W. REID / KILLED ON AIR OPERATIONS / FEB 28TH 1942.
The memorial consists of a flagpole set on a stepped concrete base and a forecourt with posts at each corner. A plaque set into one of the posts records the gift of the park (THIS MEMORIAL PARK / WAS PRESENTED / TO THE RESIDENTS / OF THIS DISTRICT BY / MR. AND MRS NEIL REID / IN MEMORY OF THEIR SON / PILOT OFFICER / STEWART REID / WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS / COUNTRY ON FEB. 28TH 1942 / AND ALSO HIS FALLEN COMRADES / GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN / THAN HE THAT GIVETH HIS LIFE / FOR HIS FRIEND). Another records the erection of the memorial (THIS MEMORIAL / WAS ERECTED / BY THE RESIDENTS / OF THIS DISTRICT / AS A MARK OF GRATITUDE / FOR THE SACRIFICE MADE / AND THE SERVICE GIVEN IN / TWO GREAT WORLD WARS).
The plaque on the flagstaff dedicates the memorial to the local men who died in both world wars (IN MEMORY OF / ERNEST BEHRENT. / TOM BERGHAN. / ALLAN JOHNSTON. / STEWART REID. / BRUCE THOMAS. / 1939-45. / ALSO / THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN / 1914-18). A fourth plaque lists the names of 34 men in whose honour memorial trees were planted.
Community contributions