Te Awamutu war memorial.
Historic postcard images
Governor-General Lord Jellicoe unveiled the Te Awamutu First World War memorial on 30 May 1923. The dedication was undertaken by Chaplain Captain G.T. Robson MC.
The cenotaph, more than 20 feet high, was surmounted by a statue of a New Zealand infantryman carved from white marble. The names of 58 soldiers from Te Awamutu who gave their lives were inscribed around the sides.
The site, on a triangle of land at the junction of Bank and Teasdale Streets, was intended to allow for the display of war trophies, and for some years a field artillery piece was located in front of the memorial (this was probably removed at the start of the Second World War). The area is now known as ‘Anzac Green’.
A roll of honour listing servicemen from the area who gave their lives in both world wars is displayed in the Te Awamutu & District Memorial RSA clubrooms in Alexandra Street.
Sources: ‘Te Awamautu War Memorial Site Purchased’, NZ Herald, 4/10/19, p. 8; ‘Lord Jellicoe’s Tour: Visit to Te Awamutu’, NZ Herald, 31/5/1923, p. 8; ‘Te Awamutu’, Church Gazette, vol. 53, no. 7, July 1923, p. 111. ‘Sacrifices honoured’, Te Awamutu Courier, 23/4/2014, pp. 1, 4; ‘Gallipoli’ [supplement], Te Awamutu Courier, 23/4/2015, p. 7
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