Te Rore WW2

Te Rore World War 2 Memorial

Te Rore

Te Rore World War 2 Memorial Rose Garden

1946

Details

Location	Te Rore – 1 Allcock Road
Commemorating	WW2
Mediums
Listing	Waipā District Plan Cat B
Links	NZ History

Description

The Te Rore World War 2 Memorial Rose Garden, opened in July 1946 between the local school (closed since 1986) and the hall. It commemorates the men from the district who died during the Second World War, and it features a flagpole with trees, originally surrounded by eight rose beds, planted in memory of those who served.

Though the rose garden has disappeared over time, the site and trees, most know today as the ‘Memorial Triangle’, continues to serve as a place of remembrance. Nearby, the Te Rore Community Hall houses several rolls of honour, further commemorating those who served in both World Wars with 27 names for WWI, 8 returnees inscribed on the flagstaff, and 30 names of those who served in WW2.

Te Awamutu WW1

Te Awamutu First World War Memorial

Te Awamutu

Te Awamutu First World War Memorial

1923

Details

Location	Te Awamutu – Cnr Bank St & Teasdale St – Anzac Green
Commemorating	WW1
Mediums	Stone
Listing	HNZ Cat 2, Waipā District Plan Cat B
Links	NZ History, Te Awamutu Museum Collections Online

Description

The Te Awamutu First World War Memorial, unveiled by Governor-General Lord Jellicoe on May 30, 1923, commemorates the 58 local soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. The memorial features a 20-foot cenotaph topped with a statue of a New Zealand infantryman, carved from white marble.

The names of the fallen are inscribed on its sides, and the memorial was originally located on a triangle of land at the junction of Bank and Teasdale Streets, known as ‘Anzac Green.’ The site once displayed war trophies, including a field artillery piece, and a roll of honour listing those who served is now displayed at the Te Awamutu & District Memorial RSA clubrooms.

Kihikihi War Memorial

Kihikihi

Kihikihi War Memorial

1923

Details

Location	Kihikihi – 28 Lyon Street
Commemorating	WW1
Mediums	Marble
Listing	HNZ Cat 2, Waipā District Plan Cat B
Links	HNZ Listing, Papers Past – Memorial Unveiling, Te Awamutu Museum Collections Online – Kihikihi War Memorial

Description

The Kihikihi War Memorial, unveiled in 1923, is a granite obelisk located on Lyon Street in Kihikihi, standing five meters tall. It commemorates the 33 men from the district who lost their lives in the First World War, with their names inscribed on the monument. The memorial carries the inscription:

“Lest we forget – in loving memory of the men who have fallen in the Great War.”

It was dedicated in a solemn ceremony attended by locals and officials, marking a permanent tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the district’s fallen soldiers.

Kihikihi War Memorial

Kihikihi

Kihikihi War Memorial Hall

1957

Details

Location	Kihikihi – 17 Lyon Street
Commemorating	WW2
Mediums	Building
Listing	Waipā District Plan Cat B
Links	Te Awamutu Museum – Collections Online – Kihikihi War Memorial Hall, NZ History – Kihikihi War Memorial Hall

Description

Kihikihi’s Second World War Memorial Hall was completed in 1957. It consisted of bowling greens, a croquet green, and a two-storey hall with croquet clubrooms on the ground floor and public meeting rooms above. A red granite tablet beside the first-floor front entrance lists the names of ten local men who gave their lives during WW2.

The ‘Turret’ clock was manufactured in Wellington in 1881 and operated in a tower at Te Awamutu Post Office from 1912 to 1934 and was later installed at Kihikihi in 1960.

Rewi Maniapoto Memorial

Kihikihi

Rewi Maniapoto Memorial

1894

Details

Location	Kihikihi – cnr Whitmore and Lyon Street
Commemorating	Figure of National Importance, Land Wars
Mediums	Wood, marble
Listing	HNZ Cat 2, Waipā District Plan Cat B
Links	HNZ Listing, Te Awamutu Museum – Collections Online – Rewi Maniapoto, LINZ – Maniapoto Settlement

Description

The Rewi Maniapoto Memorial in Kihikihi, established in 1894, honours the influential leader of the Kīngitanga movement and military strategist during the Waikato War. The memorial marks his burial site, and the only land returned to Ngāti Maniapoto after the New Zealand Wars until the recent Maniapoto Claims Settlement Act 2022.

Built near his government-gifted home, it was unveiled while Maniapoto was still alive. Today, the memorial is a key historical site, surrounded by a public reserve with gardens, playgrounds, and informational panels, maintained by Ngāti Maniapoto and the community.