Pukeahu questions and answers - Ministry for Culture and Heritage

advertisement
Pukeahu National War Memorial Park
Pukeahu National War Memorial Park is a park for all New Zealanders and is the
Government’s key project to commemorate the Centenary of the First World War.
Commemorating the more than 300,000 New Zealanders who have served their country in
military conflict and the 30,000 who have died Pukeahu is a place for current and future
generations to remember and reflect on our country’s war experience, military conflict and
peacekeeping and gain a greater understanding of the experiences that shape our ideals
and sense of national identity.
Pukeahu National War Memorial Park is geographically located centrally with a panorama
extending north across Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) to the harbour, south to the old
suburb of Newtown and east and west to the hills encircling the capital.
And the site is more than just a park. It is a precinct made up of distinct, but linked parts
which reflect the historical significance of the area.
Questions and Answers
Q: Why was Pukeahu National War Memorial Park created?
A: The creation of Pukeahu commemorates the 100th anniversary of the First World War
1914 to 1918. Pukeahu is a place to remember and reflect on New Zealand’s involvement in
military conflict and contribution to peacekeeping. The Park opening on 18 April, in time for
Anzac Day 25 April, signifies 100 years since the country’s first major battle in the Great
War. Anzac Day is named after the ANZACs – the men of the Australian and New Zealand
Army Corps who fought in that battle at Gallipoli in Turkey.
Q: When was the concept for the Park first mooted?
A: The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior was the catalyst for creating Pukeahu back in 2002.
When arrangements began to bring the Unknown Warrior to a resting place on the forecourt
outside the National War Memorial discussions between government, local government and
Wellington City Council about making the area a more fitting place for people to remember
and reflect on our country’s war experience got underway.
Q: What has this development involved?
A: In 2005 Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage acquired land on Buckle Street,
across the road from the National War Memorial. In April 2011, the former Minister for Arts,
Culture and Heritage Christopher Finlayson marked the completion of this first phase of the
development which was for a dedicated public space for current and future generations to
remember those affected by war.
In 2012 the National War Memorial Park (Pukeahu) Empowering Act was passed allowing
necessary statutory authorisations and property rights to the Ministry for Culture and
Heritage and the New Zealand Transport Agency to enable completion of Pukeahu.
1
Q: Does this mean the Park is a roading project?
A: The New Zealand Transport Agency has led this project and Pukeahu has been achieved
by putting State Highway One – Buckle Street between Tasman, Tory and Taranaki Streets
– underground through the Arras Tunnel enabling the park to be developed above.
Construction of the tunnel and park began
Q: How much has Pukeahu cost to develop?
A: The total cost is $120 million.
Q: How big is the Pukeahu Park Precinct?
A: The Pukeahu park precinct covers 21,000 square metres of open spaces, gardens and
memorials to New Zealand’s servicemen and women. This is roughly the size of three
rugby/soccer playing fields.
Q: Why is the Park called Pukeahu?
A: With its commanding views over the city Pukeahu has always been a place of
significance. Māori who lived in the area called the hill Pukeahu and had a pa site there, and
grew vegetables on the hillside terraces leading up to where the carillion now stands.
Q: What else can you tell me about the history of the area?
A: Early settlers renamed the area Mt Cook and built army and police barracks and prisons
along Buckle Street.
Mt Cook also has an important role in education. The Mt Cook School opened in 1875 as the
Buckle Street public school for boys and girls, Wellington High school is in the same area
and Wellington College and Wellington East Girls College are nearby. Massey University
College of Creative Arts is now located in the former National Art Gallery and Dominion
Museum building situated behind the National War Memorial.
Q: When was the National War Memorial and the carillon built?
A: In the years after World War One discussions to create a national place of remembrance
began and then, taking advantage of the elevated site, the National War Memorial including
the carillon were built in 1932.
The 51 metre high carillon tower is home to 74 heavy bells weighing 70.5 tonnes. The
recently earthquake strengthened Hall of Memories, at the rear of the ground floor of the
tower, provides an indoor sanctuary for ceremonial remembrance.
2
A proposal to create a boulevard to link the memorial to Courtenay Place didn’t eventuate
and this was taken into consideration when discussions to create Pukeahu were first held.
Q: What is significant about the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior?
A: The Unknown Warrior is one of almost 30,000 New Zealanders who died while serving
our country and one of almost 9,000 with no known grave. A casualty of the First World War,
his remains were exhumed from the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery on the Somme in France, a
site chosen by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
As the result of a Ministry for Culture and Heritage led project on 10 November 2004, the
New Zealand Defence Force brought the Unknown Warrior home. After a Lying-in-State
vigil at Parliament and a Memorial Service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Armistice Day, 11
November, the Unknown Warrior was given a full military funeral procession through
Wellington and laid to rest in his new tomb.
Q: What else will feature in the Park precinct?
A: War memorials to recognise other countries’ war time sacrifice and commitment to peace
will feature throughout Pukeahu. The first of these is the Australian War Memorial with the
British one the next to be built.
Q: The Australian War Memorial is impressive, what does it involve?
A: Dedicated on 20 April the Australian Memorial pays tribute to the relationship between
Australia and New Zealand and the two country’s shared military history.
Designed by Australian architectural firm Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, the memorial features 15
columns of red sandstone. Symbolic of Australia's 'Red Centre' these stand on bands of the
same red stone interwoven with bands of grey basalt to represent New Zealand’s landscape.
Each six metre high column has an inset panel of reflective black granite. On the central
column the granite panel is inscribed with the word Anzac representing the long and close
relationship between Australia and New Zealand. Seven other columns are inscribed with
the names of sites and operations where Australians and New Zealanders have served
alongside each other. The remaining seven columns feature artwork of the first peoples of
our two countries.
Eucalypt trees representing the Australian landscape have been planted in and around the
memorial. These red flowering yellow gum trees will grow to about 10 metres high.
Funded by the Australian Government with a project budget of AUD$5 million the memorial
is a reciprocal gesture to the New Zealand Memorial built on ANZAC Parade in Canberra.
Q: What’s the significance of the Māori garden?
A: Sitting at the foot of the carillon tower are the Ngā Tapuwae o te Kāhui Maunga gardens.
These gardens tell the story of the people of Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington, Lower Hutt
and Upper Hutt) who descend from the ancient Kāhui Maunga people. They settled on the
3
slopes of Mt Taranaki and their story includes the mountains Taranaki, Ruapehu and
Tongariro. Three rocks in the garden have come from these mountains.
The wall behind the rocks comprise new and historical bricks. The historical bricks were
made in Mount Cook Prison where many of the men from the Parihaka incident were held
before being imprisoned in Otago.
The sculpture Hinerangi faces the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and Aoraki in the South
Island. The main element in this bronze sculpture is the kakahu (cloak) with the symbols of
the sun, moon, stars and mountain patterns telling the story of family, home and
guardianship.
The top of the kakahu represents the land. The tassels are the tears for those lost in war
while the poutama designs are the pathways our soldiers took in their journey to the spirit
world.
Q: What else will I find in the Park?
A: The former crèche building has been relocated to the eastern end of the Park. Housing an
education centre which will be open later in the year this will feature information about the
Park as well as explore New Zealand’s experience in times of war.
Q: Is this the interesting old brick building?
A: Yes. The exterior has been cleaned and an orchard of hardy heritage fruit trees – apple,
pear and plum, has been planted as a tribute to Mother Aubert (Sister Mary Joseph) besides
the building. Born in France Mother Aubert started a home for orphans and the underprivileged in Jerusalem on the Wanganui River in 1885. After founding a religious order, the
Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion in 1892 she started two hospitals in Wellington; the
first, St Joseph's Home for the Incurables in 1900, and Our Lady's Home of Compassion in
1907.
Q: What other plants and trees are in the Park?
A: As the Park can be hit by both the southerly and the dominating northerly winds hardy
specimens and particularly natives have been chosen. These include pohutukawa and
northern rata and kowhai on the eastern flank and imported species, such as Chinese elms,
olives and a single Gallipoli pine on the western flank.
In the central areas the focus has been on two events with red tussock and flax lily mixed
with red carpet roses flowering during autumn chosen to support Anzac commemorations
and white flowering rengarenga lilies and Chatham Island forget-me-nots for Armistice Day
in spring.
Around the lawned areas tussocks, ferns, New Zealand iris, hebe, low manuka and creeping
fuchsia are planted. Having some flexibility on the planting means countries, with the
agreement of Wellington City Council, will be able to bring in their own plant species to
complement their own war memorials.
4
Q: Where is the Great War Exhibition located?
A: This will be located in the old Dominion Museum building which is on the hill just behind
the National War Memorial. Opened in 1936 it was the site of New Zealand’s National
Museum until 1996. In recent years the building has been the home of the Massey University
College of Creative Arts. From April 2015 a central part of the building will be open to the
public as the Great War Exhibition.
A joint venture between central government and Sir Peter Jackson the Great War Exhibition
will offer New Zealanders and overseas visitors a unique and evocative insight into the harsh
realities of the First World War from the perspective of New Zealanders on the battlefields in
Europe and also at home in wartime New Zealand.
Q: I’ve driven through the Arras Tunnel several times now, how did it get this name?
A: The tunnel takes its name in recognition of the wartime efforts of New Zealand miners in
the French town of the same name. During the First World War miners from New Zealand
coal and gold mines built underground quarries to create a tactical advantage for Allied
forces. The Arras Tunnel takes State Highway Two underneath Pukeahu and was opened in
September 2014. The walls of the tunnel are adorned with red Anzac poppies and its
underground aspect ensures peace and quiet for Pukeahu, National War Memorial Park
above.
5
Download