Huntly war memorials

The Huntly First World War memorial obelisk is located outside the Huntly War Memorial Community Centre in the Huntly Domain.

The First World War memorial, which was designed, built, and largely financed by members of the Huntly RSA, was unveiled by Governor-General Sir Charles Fergusson on 27 May 1927. The 18-foot obelisk was originally mounted in a commanding position between the main street and the banks of the Waikato River, not far from the post office and the local town hall. Appropriately, it was constructed from Huntly bricks, with base a of glazed bricks and a shaft of white enamelled bricks.

Glazed wreaths and scrolls were set on each of the four sides of the shaft. Each scroll was emblazoned with the words: “Tell it to the generation following”. Around the base were four pillars surmounted by Grecian-style terracotta urns. Three plaques of black marble listing the names of 57 men who had died in the war were set into the memorial.

On 15 November 1958 the Huntly War Memorial Hall (today known as the Huntly War Memorial Community Centre) was opened in the Huntly Domain. This used Huntly bricks on both the interior and exterior walls. It was designed by architects White, Leigh, de Lisle and Fraser of Hamilton. Rolls of honour listing Huntly’s fallen in both world wars were unveiled in the foyer of the hall.

The obelisk was subsequently relocated to the domain outside the hall. An additional plaque listing the names of 29 Second World War fallen had already been added to one face. Some years later, a plaque acknowledging service in South Africa, Korea, Malaya/Borneo and Vietnam was also added.

Photographs of some of the local servicemen who died in the Second World War are displayed in a memorial cabinet in the Huntly RSA.

Sources: ‘Huntly War Memorial: Unveiling Tomorrow’, NZ Herald, 26/5/1927, p. 10; ‘Sacrifices in War: Men of Huntly District’, NZ Herald, 28/5/1927, p. 12; ‘“Comrades of War”: Huntly’s Memorial’, Auckland Star, 28/5/1927, p. 14; ‘Huntly People Justly Proud of Work: War Memorial Hall’, NZ Herald, 13/11/1958; ‘Huntly War Memorial Hall Culmination of a “Magnificent Effort”’, Waikato Times, 17/11/1958, p. 6; ‘War Memorial Hall Opened at Huntly’, NZ Herald, 17/11/1958; ‘War Memorial Hall: Official Opening Ceremony’, Huntly Press, 20/11/1958, p. 2; ‘Splendid Effort Praised by Mayor’, NZ Herald, 28/11/1958; display in Huntly RSA, sighted April 2014.