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St Luke's church and memorial Jutland Oak, Waerenga-a-hika, near Gisborne.
The oak tree commemorated the Battle of Jutland, 1916. Although few New Zealanders fought in this battle, our gift cruiser, HMS New Zealand, saw action as part of the Royal Navy. It is believed the tree was planted in 1916. The church dates from 1910.
In early 2015 the tree was under threat as its size and state of deterioration was becoming a health risk to people visiting the church. In July the tree was removed.
Credit
Bess Halley, Gisborne District Council, 2015; Andrew Matheson, 2015