Onehunga First World War memorial.
The Onehunga First World memorial arch stands at the north-western corner of Jellicoe Park. Immediately after the war, Onehunga Borough Council proposed developing the 5½-acre Blockhouse Domain—set aside for military purposes in the previous century—as a war memorial park. Although the Borough Council was unable to raise the funds to fully realise its ambitions, on 26 May 1923 it was able to invite Governor-General Lord Jellicoe to open his namesake park.
Several years later an arch of remembrance, largely constructed from boulders of local scoria, was erected at the main entrance to the park. The arch was formally unveiled on 20 October 1929.
The keystone of the arch was inscribed simply with the words “Arch of Remembrance, 1914 – 1918”. When the Onehunga War Memorial swimming pool was opened nearby in 1956, this incorporated an Onehunga roll of honour for both world wars, and a plaque to this effect was installed at the foot of the arch.
The original military blockhouse, which dates from 1860, still stands at the highest point of the park.
Sources: ‘Onehunga War Memorial’, NZ Herald, 29/7/1919, p. 6; ‘Jellicoe Park: New Onehunga Reserve’, NZ Herald, 26/5/1923, p. 9; ‘Arch of Remembrance’, Auckland Star, 25/9/1929, p. 7; ‘Arch of Remembrance: Onehunga War Memorial: A Worthy Monument’, Auckland Star, 21/10/1929, p. 10; Janice M. Mogford, The Onehunga Heritage, rev. ed. Onehunga, 1989, p. 57.
Main image: Jock Phillips and Chris Maclean, c1986
Other images and information: Bruce Ringer, Auckland Libriaries, 2014