Like many museums throughout New Zealand, over the years Dargaville Museum has acquired a number of local rolls of honour.
These include, from the First World War, both the substantial Aoroa School roll of honour, listing the names of 34 old boys who fought in the Great War, and a modest hand-carved memorial tablet from Tangiteroria School listing just two names, the brothers Edwin Henry Baldwin and Stanley Herbert Baldwin. From the Second World War come rolls of honour from Graham’s Fern school, Hoanga (21 names, including three dead); the Northern Wairoa Lodge No. 56 (21 names); Te Kopuru Methodist Sunday School and Bible Union (45 names); and Turiwiri (31 names).
Aoroa School closed down in 1938 and Graham’s Fern School in 1952/3. The Aoroa School roll was donated to the museum by the Aoroa Settlers’ Association in 1990.
Images and text: Bruce Ringer, 2019