Pukeahu National War Memorial Park
Pukeahu National War Memorial Park is a park for all New Zealanders and is the Government’s key project to commemorate the Centenary of the First World War.
Commemorating the more than 300,000 New Zealanders who have served their country in military conflict and the 30,000 who have diedPukeahu is a place for current and future generations to remember and reflect on our country’s war experience, military conflict and peacekeeping and gain a greater understanding of the experiences that shape our ideals and sense of national identity.
Pukeahu National War Memorial Park is geographically located centrally with a panorama extending north across Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) to the harbour, south to the old suburb of Newtown and east and west to the hills encircling the capital.
And the site is more than just a park. It is a precinct made up of distinct, but linked parts which reflect the historical significance of the area.
Questions and Answers
Q: Why was Pukeahu National War Memorial Park created?
A: The creation of Pukeahu commemorates the 100th anniversary of the First World War 1914 to 1918. Pukeahu is a place to remember and reflect on New Zealand’s involvement in military conflict and contribution to peacekeeping. The Park opening on 18 April, in time for Anzac Day 25 April, signifies 100 years since the country’s first major battle in the Great War. Anzac Day is named after the ANZACs – the men of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought in that battle at Gallipoli in Turkey.
Q: When was the concept for the Park first mooted?
A: The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior was the catalyst for creating Pukeahu back in 2002. When arrangements began to bring the Unknown Warrior to a resting place on the forecourt outside the National War Memorial discussions between government, local government and Wellington City Council about making the area a more fitting place for people to remember and reflect on our country’s war experience got underway.
Q: What has this development involved?
A: In 2005 Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage acquired land on Buckle Street, across the road from the National War Memorial. In April 2011, the former Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Christopher Finlayson marked the completion of this first phase of the development which was for a dedicated public space for current and future generations to remember those affected by war.
In 2012 the National War Memorial Park (Pukeahu) Empowering Act was passed allowing necessary statutory authorisations and property rights to the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and the New Zealand Transport Agency to enable completion of Pukeahu.
Q: Does this mean the Park is a roading project?
A: The New Zealand Transport Agency has led this project and Pukeahu has been achieved by putting State Highway One – Buckle Streetbetween Tasman, Tory and Taranaki Streets – underground through the Arras Tunnel enabling the park to be developed above. Construction of the tunnel and park began
Q: How much has Pukeahu cost to develop?
A: The total cost is $120 million.
Q: How big is the Pukeahu Park Precinct?
A: The Pukeahu park precinct covers 21,000 square metres of open spaces, gardens and memorials to New Zealand’s servicemen and women. This is roughly the size of three rugby/soccer playing fields.
Q: Why is the Park called Pukeahu?
A: With its commanding views over the city Pukeahu has always been a place of significance. Māori who lived in the area called the hill Pukeahu and had a pa site there, and grew vegetables on the hillside terraces leading up to where the carillion now stands.
Q: What else can you tell me about the history of the area?
A: Early settlers renamed the area Mt Cook and built army and police barracks and prisons along Buckle Street.
Mt Cook also has an important role in education. The Mt Cook School opened in 1875 as the Buckle Street public school for boys and girls, Wellington High school is in the same area and Wellington College and Wellington East Girls College are nearby. Massey University College of Creative Arts is now located in the former National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum building situated behind the National War Memorial.
Q: When was the National War Memorial and the carillon built?
A: In the years after World War One discussions to create a national place of remembrance began and then, taking advantage of the elevated site, the National War Memorial including the carillon were built in 1932.
The 51 metre high carillon tower is home to 74 heavy bells weighing 70.5 tonnes. The recently earthquake strengthened Hall of Memories, at the rear of the ground floor of the tower, provides an indoor sanctuary for ceremonial remembrance.
A proposal to create a boulevard to link the memorial to Courtenay Place didn’t eventuate and this was taken into consideration when discussions to create Pukeahu were first held.
Q: What is significant about the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior?
A: The Unknown Warrior is one of almost 30,000 New Zealanders who died while serving our country and one of almost 9,000 with no known grave. A casualty of the First World War, his remains were exhumed from the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery on the Somme in France, a site chosen by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
As the result of a Ministry for Culture and Heritage led project on 10 November 2004, the New Zealand Defence Force brought the Unknown Warrior home. After a Lying-in-State vigil at Parliament and a Memorial Service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Armistice Day, 11 November, the Unknown Warrior was given a full military funeral procession through Wellington and laid to rest in his new tomb.
Q: What else will feature in the Park precinct?
A: War memorials to recognise other countries’ war time sacrifice and commitment to peace will feature throughout Pukeahu. The first of these is the Australian War Memorial with the British one the next to be built.
Q: The Australian War Memorial is impressive, what does it involve?
A: Dedicated on 20 April the Australian Memorial pays tribute to the relationship between Australia and New Zealand and the two country’s shared military history.
Designed by Australian architectural firm Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, the memorial features 15 columns of red sandstone. Symbolic of Australia's 'Red Centre' these stand on bands of the same red stone interwoven with bands of grey basalt to represent New Zealand’s landscape.
Each six metre high column has an inset panel of reflective black granite. On the central column the granite panel is inscribed with the word Anzac representing the long and close relationship between Australia and New Zealand. Seven other columns are inscribed with the names of sites and operations where Australians and New Zealanders have served alongside each other. The remaining seven columns feature artwork of the first peoples of our two countries.
Eucalypt trees representing the Australian landscape have been planted in and around the memorial. These red flowering yellow gum trees will grow to about 10 metres high.
Funded by the Australian Government with a project budget of AUD$5 million the memorial is a reciprocal gesture to the New Zealand Memorial built on ANZAC Parade in Canberra.
Q: What’s the significance of the Māori garden?
A: Sitting at the foot of the carillon tower are the Ngā Tapuwae o te Kāhui Maunga gardens. These gardens tell the story of the people of Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt) who descend from the ancient Kāhui Maunga people. They settled on the slopes of Mt Taranaki and their story includes the mountains Taranaki, Ruapehu and Tongariro. Three rocks in the garden have come from these mountains.
The wall behind the rocks comprise new and historical bricks.The historical bricks were made inMount Cook Prison where many of the men from the Parihaka incident were held before being imprisoned in Otago.
The sculpture Hinerangi faces the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and Aoraki in the South Island. The main element in this bronze sculpture is the kakahu(cloak) with the symbols of the sun, moon, stars and mountain patterns telling the story of family, home and guardianship.
The top of the kakahu represents the land. The tassels are the tears for those lost in war while the poutama designs are the pathways our soldiers took in their journey to the spirit world.
Q: What else will I find in the Park?
A: The former crèche building has been relocated to the eastern end of the Park. Housing an education centre which will be open later in the year this will feature information about the Park as well as explore New Zealand’s experience in times of war.
Q: Is this the interesting old brick building?
A: Yes. The exterior has been cleaned and an orchard of hardy heritage fruit trees – apple, pear and plum, has been planted as a tribute to Mother Aubert (Sister Mary Joseph) besides the building.Born in France Mother Aubert started a home for orphans and the under-privileged in Jerusalem on the Wanganui River in 1885. After founding a religious order, the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion in 1892 she started two hospitals in Wellington; the first, St Joseph's Home for the Incurables in 1900, and Our Lady's Home of Compassion in 1907.
Q: What other plants and trees are in the Park?
A: As the Park can be hit by both the southerly and the dominating northerly winds hardy specimens and particularly natives have been chosen. These include pohutukawa and northern rata and kowhai on the eastern flank and imported species, such as Chinese elms, olives and a single Gallipoli pine on the western flank.
In the central areas the focus has been on two events with red tussock and flax lily mixed with red carpet roses flowering during autumn chosen to support Anzac commemorations and white flowering rengarenga lilies and Chatham Island forget-me-nots for Armistice Day in spring.
Around the lawned areas tussocks, ferns, New Zealand iris, hebe, low manuka and creeping fuchsia are planted. Having some flexibility on the planting means countries, with the agreement of Wellington City Council, will be able to bring in their own plant species to complement their own war memorials.
Q: Where is the Great War Exhibition located?
A: This will be located in the old Dominion Museum building which is on the hill just behind the National War Memorial. Opened in 1936 it was the site of New Zealand’s National Museum until 1996. In recent years the building has been the home of the Massey University College of Creative Arts. From April 2015 a central part of the building will be open to the public as the Great War Exhibition.
A joint venture between central government and Sir Peter Jackson the Great War Exhibition will offer New Zealanders and overseas visitors a unique and evocative insight into the harsh realities of the First World War from the perspective of New Zealanders on the battlefields in Europe and also at home in wartime New Zealand.
Q: I’ve driven through the Arras Tunnel several times now, how did it get this name?
A: The tunnel takes its name in recognition of the wartime efforts of New Zealand miners in the French town of the same name. During the First World Warminers from New Zealand coal and gold mines built underground quarries to create a tactical advantage for Allied forces.The Arras Tunnel takes State Highway Two underneath Pukeahu and was opened in September 2014. The walls of the tunnel are adorned with red Anzac poppies and its underground aspect ensures peace and quiet for Pukeahu, National War Memorial Park above.
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