Kaitaia First World War memorial

Kaitaia war memorial.

• See also: images of the unveiling of this memorial and another historical image showing more detail - both on the National Library's Timeframes website.

More information

The very first war memorial erected to commemorate the dead of the First World War was unveiled at Kaitaia on 24 March, 1916, less than year after the landing at Gallipoli and with the torments of the western front still to come. A Maori, L.T.Busby of Pukepoto in the far north, had been the moving spirit behind the memorial and beneath the typical cemetery angel the words are written in both Maori and English. The Maori version runs:

HE TOHU WHAKAMAHARATANGA TENEI MO A MATOU TAMARIKI WHANAUNGA HOKI. NGA MEA KUA MATE NGA MEA E ORA ANA MAORI PAKEHA O ROTO I TE KAUTE O MANGONUI NEI. KAORE NEI RATOU I RUARUA KI TE TAPAE WHAKARERE I O RATOU TINANA HEI MEA E AWAHINE AI RATOU I TE KINGI I TE EMEPAEA I TE KORORIA HOKI O TE ATUA I ROT I TENEI PAKANGA WHAKAWEHI I ARA NEI KI NGA TAKIWA O OROPI I TE MARAMA O AKUHATA, 1, 14, HOROPA ATU ANA INAIANEI KI NGA TOPITO O TE AO KAUPIA E TE WHANAU NGA NGARU TUA TEKO TE MAONA-NUI.

The English version runs:

In loving memory and in honour of our sons and relations both Maori and Pakeha, dead or living from the county of Mongonui who willingly offered to sacrifice their lives to uphold the honour of the King and Empire and for the Glory of God in this terrible war which began in Europe in August 1914, and has since spread over the greater part of the world.

Splashing through the mountainous waves of the Indian Ocean our brave lads uphold the names of your noble ancestors, seek to avenge the deaths of your relations that have fallen. God will give victory to the righteous.