The Wiri First World War roll of honour is situated in St David’s Anglican Church, beside the Great South Road, to the south of Manukau City Centre. It is not known exactly when this roll of honour was unveiled, or whether it was first erected in the church or in the old Wiri public hall on nearby Wiri Station Road (the latter building was opened on 24 April 1922, but was not dedicated as a war memorial at the time). The Wiri Second World War roll of honour, which did originally hang in the Wiri hall, was moved into storage in 1973, then transferred to St David’s in 1977.
Two First World War memorial trees were planted outside St David’s in 1918. On 31 August 1918, the lectern in the church was dedicated to the memory of the brothers Walter Richard Costar MM and Reginald Ernest Costar, who had both been killed in action.
Sources: 'Functions in Franklin: Opening of New Halls: Karaka and Wiri', NZ Herald, 26/4/1922, p. 9; 'Mr Massey "at Home": New Halls Opened at Karaka and Wiri', Franklin Times, 28/4/1922, p. 5; ‘Wiri Servicemen to be Remembered', Manukau Courier, 10/2/1977, p. 1; Earl Howe, We Build Forever: St David’s Church, Wiri, Manurewa, 2005, pp. 3-4.
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