Taradale Second World War Plunket Rooms war memorial.
The Taradale War Memorial Plunket Rooms stand on the corner of Gloucester and Elbourne Streets. A memorial wall of shaped and mortared stones runs along the two street frontages. The memorial was dedicated on 17 February 1952: the Hon. W. A. Bodkin, Minister of the Interior, unveiled the memorial wall; Mrs Bodkin, Dominion President of Plunket Society, opened the Plunket Rooms.
Seven marble tablets are set into the wall. One of them bears the inscription ERECTED BY RESIDENTS OF TARADALE DISTRICT. / IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY OF THOSE / WHO GAVE THEIR ALL, followed by 21 names. The others list those who returned from service, a total of 223 names.
The Taradale rose garden of memories which lies across the road from the Plunket Rooms, and which incorporates a war memorial sundial, may have originally been part of this project.
The Plunket Rooms were closed in 2014. The building currently awaits earthquake strengthening.
See: ‘New War Memorial: Ceremony at Taradale’, Daily Telegraph, 18/2/1952; cf. Janet Gordon and Shirley Spence, Taradale: The Story of a Village, 1844-2000, Taradale, 2000, pp. 132, 144-5.
For more images and further information on this memorial visit the Napier City Council website.
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