The Te Karaka war memorial is built from white marble and commemorates Brian Massey Hutchinson and his comrades from the area. Mr Hutchinson attended Wanganui Collegiate School until 1915. He worked as a shepherd until 1917 when he sailed to France to join the NZ Rifle Brigade 1st Battalion.
The memorial depicts a lion standing rampant holding a pennant based on the badge of the NZ Rifle Brigade. The plaque reads
This stone was erected by Edward Massey Hutchinson and his wife, Eleanor in memory of their dear son and his comrades from Waikohu County who lost their lives in the Great War of 1914-1918.
The memorial was erected in October 1920. At the request of the donors, no formal unveiling ceremony was held. Forty names are inscribed on the cenotaph. After the Second World War, memorial gates were added, with copper tablets affixed to the pillars which list another 48 names.
According to some accounts, a row of palm trees leading to the Te Karaka sports ground in Cliff Road nearby was planted as a memorial in 1919 (although it is uncertain that this was actually the intention). These trees were recently removed for health and safety reasons. Gisborne District Council plans to develop a commemorative garden on the site.
See: ‘Memorial for Te Karaka’, Poverty Bay Herald, 23/6/1920, p. 3; ‘Te Karaka Memorial’, Poverty Bay Herald, 19/10/1920, p. 7; Te Karaka Community Plan, Gisborne, 2013.
Jock Phillips and Chris Maclean, c1986; Bruce Ringer, Auckland Libraries, 2015