Northern Wairoa war memorial buildings, Dargaville

Northern Wairoa war memorial buildings, Dargaville

Northern Wairoa Memorial Park Northern Wairoa Memorial Park Northern Wairoa Memorial Park Northern Wairoa Memorial Park Northern Wairoa Memorial Park Northern Wairoa Memorial Park Northern Wairoa Memorial Park Northern Wairoa Memorial Park Northern Wairoa Memorial Park Northern Wairoa Memorial Park

The Northern Wairoa RSA memorial clubrooms, opened in 1957, and the Northern Wairoa War Memorial Hall, first opened in 1960, stand close to one another in Hokianga Road, Dargaville. In the small park between the two buildings there is a more recently erected memorial wall. Because of their proximity, these structures must be considered together.

In 1945 members of the Northern Wairoa RSA began raising funds to build new clubrooms. Their efforts later became part of a wider community war memorial project which also included redeveloping Northern Wairoa Memorial Park on the outskirts of the town and building a new town hall. The RSA memorial building, which incorporated Plunket rooms and a creche, was completed in 1957. The following plaque was unveiled at the time: “In memory and honour of our fallen comrades whose sacrifice these club rooms commemorate.” A book of remembrance was put on display inside the entrance.

On 10 March 1960, Governor-General Viscount Cobham formally opened the Northern Wairoa War Memorial Hall. This was situated next to the muncipal building and slightly further up the street than the RSA. Dargaville’s First World War roll of honour (which had been unveiled during the official opening ceremony of the municipal building on 1 August 1923) was transferred to the lobby of the memorial hall. A New Zealand flag embroidered with the names of men and women from the district who had served overseas during the Second World War was later also put on display.

Nonetheless, the area still lacked a comprehensive roll of honour. On 15 August 1995 Colonel Tom Ward and his wife, ex-Nursing Corps Lieutenant Georgina Ward, unveiled a newly-built brick memorial wall next to the RSA building. This was inset with polished granite tablets listing the names of 119 local men who had given their lives during the First World War and 138 who had given their lives during the Second World War. One name each was listed for Malaya and Vietnam.

On 28 March 1998 the Northern Wairoa War Memorial Hall, which had been completely rebuilt, was formally reopened. In July 2013 a cinema was opened in the building. Appropriately, it was named the Anzac Theatre.

See: ‘Dargaville Affairs: New Municipal Building’, NZ Herald, 2/8/1923, p. 4;  ‘For Servicemen: Building at Dargaville’, Auckland Star, 24/10/1945, p. 3; ‘Town Hall for Dargaville’, Northern Advocate, 6/10/1955, p. 1; ‘War Memorial Hall Opened at Dargaville’, NZ Herald, 11/3/1960, p. 12; Samuel S. Green, Dargaville Borough Jubilee Souvenir, Dargaville, 1958, p. 119; [‘Fiftieth anniversary of the end of WW2’], Northland Times, 16/8/1995, p. 1; ‘New Doors Open for First Time’, Northland Times, 30/3/1998, p. 1.

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