In 1921 Mr William Alley of Hikutaiā gave 3.5 acres of land to the community for a war memorial park. After bowling greens, a small pavilion, tennis courts and a croquet lawn had been established, Alley Memorial Park was formally opened in February 1923. Local MP A.M. Samuels opened the First World War memorial gates at the park entrance on 12 December 1926. The names of 11 men who gave their lives and 29 who also served were inscribed on pink granite tablets set into the pillars.
A new pavilion was opened in 1969. This was dedicated to the memory of those who had served in the Second World War.
See: 'New Hikutaia park', NZ Herald, 14/2/1923, p. 8; '"Lest we forget": Alley Memorial Park', Thames Star, 13/1/1926, p. 5; Tui Murdock, 'Alley Memorial Park', Ohinemuri Regional History Journal, no. 23, June 1979.
Memorial gate images: Sue Baker Wilson
Other images and text: Bruce Ringer, 2014 & 2020
Find out more about the men listed on this memorial from Auckland Museum's Cenotaph database