Our first Empire Day

Empire Day begins, 1903

'If it can be arranged without unduly dislocating trade and unnecessarily duplicating holidays, there is every reason why the fundamental political relationship of the British peoples should be popularised by the general celebration of Empire Day'.

New Zealand Herald, 24 May 1912

Ironically, our first Empire Day was a day late. In 1903, 24 May fell on a Sunday. In Auckland the King's Empire Veterans held separate Protestant and Catholic church parades that day, but the main events took place on Monday, which was a public holiday.

The laying of the foundation stone for what is now the Ranfurly Veterans' Home in Auckland provided the day's highlight. The home was Governor Lord Ranfurly's pet project.

This local version of London's Chelsea Home for Pensioners would help individual war veterans while symbolically renewing imperial ties of affection. Ranfurly personally chose the site - 'not too near a public house yet not too far and within easy communication' - and laid the foundation stone at noon on 25 May 1903. Like other events that day, it drew heavily on recent memories of the South African War.

Empire Day observances varied elsewhere around the country. Christchurch also made a day of it by unveiling a large statue of Queen Victoria in Market (now Victoria) Square. Ballantyne's department store advertised that it would close at 1 p.m. 'Seats have been provided inside the enclosure for old colonists who have applied for tickets', the Press reported. In the evening Christchurch people had the choice of several entertainments, performances of Rickards' Variety Co. at the Theatre, the Imperial Biograph at Canterbury Hall, Deans' Vaudeville Co. at the Oddfellows' Hall, as well as the United Cricket Club's annual ball and the Volunteer Garrison officers' annual dinner. The scientist Alexander Bickerton put on an Empire Day fireworks display at Lancaster Park.