Pukekohe First World War memorial

Pukekohe war memorial. This memorial was moved to its present site in April 1980.

Further information from Manukau City Council

6 November 1921 - memorial gates are officially opened at Pukekohe's Roulston Park. In April 1980 the memorial is resited outside the Pukekohe War Memorial Hall.

Initial proposals for a Pukekohe war memorial included building a hospital or a swimming pool. However, these failed to eventuate, and memorial gates were erected instead, on a plot of land donated by Mr William Roulston for the purpose to the east of the railway line ('Roulston Park: Conveyance Deed To Be Executed', Franklin Times, 21/10/21, p. 5; 'Pukekohe: Soldiers' War Memorial' [public notice], Franklin Times, 28/10/21, p. 1, col. 5; 'War Memorial Gates: Mr Massey at Pukekohe', NZ Herald, 7/11/21, p. 3; 'Pukekohe War Memorial: Opened by Prime Minister: Impressive Ceremony', Franklin Times, 8/11/21, p. 5).

In April 1980 the memorial was relocated from Roulston Park to the [Second] War Memorial Town Hall to enable Anzac Day ceremonies to be held on a single site ('War Memorial Changes Place', Franklin Courier, 9/4/80, p. 3).

The First World War memorial included a bas relief sculpture of a soldier. A local returned soldier, W.J. (Bill) Short, had served as the model for this. During the 1980 Anzac Day ceremony, Mr Short laid the wreath on behalf of the First World War veterans present ('He Laid a Wreath at His Own Feet', Central Courier South Auckland Section, 22/7/80, pp. 1, 31; 'The Face Behind the War Memorial', Franklin County News, 30/11/99, p. 4).