Greek–New Zealand memorial in central Wellington. This memorial was inspired by Arthur Helm, a New Zealand veteran of the battles for Greece in 1941. It was built with the help of the Greek–New Zealand Memorial Association, a group made up of representatives from the Greek and New Zealand governments, the New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association, Wellington City Council and the Greek community.
Frank Kitts Park on the Wellington waterfront was originally chosen as the site for the memorial. The Greek Minister of Defence unveiled a foundation stone for the memorial at the park in May 1991 as part of 50th anniversary commemorations of the Battle for Crete. The city council later found the site to be unsuitable and the present site between Cambridge and Kent Terraces was chosen for the memorial. Dedicated in 1995, the memorial commemorates the bond of friendship between the two countries. This relationship was established during the Second World War when Greek civilians risked their lives to assist New Zealand soldiers during the retreat from Greece in 1941 and during and after the disastrous Crete campaign.
Stones set into the memorial’s wall commemorate places and people (including Victoria Cross winners Alfred Hulme, Jack Hinton, Keith Elliott and Bernard Freyberg) associated with the campaigns in Greece and Crete.
Jamie Mackay, 2011