On 19 July 1919 the Reverend W.C. Wood planted an acorn in the Papakura School grounds as a contribution to the local peace celebrations.
This ‘peace oak’ was intended not so much as a war memorial as a symbolic commemoration of peace and victory. The inscription on the concrete scroll installed at the foot of the tree reads: "Acorn planted by / Rev. W. C. Wood / On July 19 1919 / To commemorate / Peace and victory / After the Great War / Aug 5 1914 - Jan 10 1920".
The latter date marks the day the Treaty of Versailles came into force and the League of Nations came into existence. The tree and plaque can still be seen near the north-western boundary of what is now Central Park, within view of the Papakura-Karaka First World War memorial.
Images and information: Bruce Ringer, Auckland Libraries, 2013