Te Awamutu war memorial.
Historic postcard images
Governor-General Lord Jellicoe unveiled the Te Awamutu First World War memorial on 30 May 1923. The dedication was undertaken by Chaplain Captain G.T. Robson MC.
The cenotaph, more than 20 feet high, was surmounted by a statue of a New Zealand infantryman carved from white marble. The names of 58 soldiers from Te Awamutu who gave their lives were inscribed around the sides.
The site, on a triangle of land at the junction of Bank and Teasdale Streets, was intended to allow for the display of war trophies, and for some years a field artillery piece was located in front of the memorial (this was probably removed at the start of the Second World War). The area is now known as ‘Anzac Green’.
In 2014 members of the Te Awamutu & Districts Memorial RSA compiled a roll of honour listing a total of 160 men from the district who gave their lives. This is displayed in the clubrooms in Alexandra Street nearby.
Sources: ‘Te Awamautu War Memorial Site Purchased’, NZ Herald, 4/10/19, p. 8; ‘Lord Jellicoe’s Tour: Visit to Te Awamutu’, NZ Herald, 31/5/1923, p. 8; ‘Te Awamutu’, Church Gazette, vol. 53, no. 7, July 1923, p. 111. ‘Sacrifices honoured’, Te Awamutu Courier, 23/4/2014, pp. 1, 4; ‘Gallipoli’ [supplement], Te Awamutu Courier, 23/4/2015, p. 7
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