Description

The Teasdale Memorial commemorates 11 unknown imperial troops who died during the New Zealand Wars. The memorial obelisk honours Colonel Sergeant E. McKenna, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery at Cameron Town on September 7, 1863.

Designed by Mr. Prickett and completed by July 1917, the memorial stands in a council reserve, part of a garrison cemetery established in 1864. The memorial was officially erected on April 16, 1918, with an inscription recognizing the unknown soldiers whose names could not be identified after extensive research.

Description

The Pukeatua War Memorial Church and Monument commemorate local lives lost in World War I and World War II. The obelisk was unveiled outside the Tautahi Public Hall on 15 September 1921 as a tribute to First World War soldiers. In 1946, the community decided to establish an un-denominational church as a Second World War memorial, formally opened on 18 December 1955 by Rev. L.A. Brooks.

The church houses brass plaques listing the names of 18 men from the district who died in the two wars, with additional tributes such as donated pews and a brass cross honouring Private Horace James Jemmett donated by his parents. Memorial services are still held at the church.

Description

The Pirongia War Memorial Hall, opened on 16 August 1922, commemorates 42 local men who died during World War I, with their names engraved on marble tablets flanking the entrance. In 1946, the hall was rededicated as a war memorial, adding two smaller marble panels listing 13 district men who died during WWII.

Inside the hall, wooden tablets duplicate all the names, and in 2016, a display board featuring military records and photographs of the 48 WWI soldiers was installed.

The Pirongia War Memorial Hall continues to be a significant site of remembrance, community gatherings and seasonal farmers’ markets in Pirongia.

Description

The Pāterangi War Memorial, a square obelisk erected in 1921, commemorates local men who died in World Wars I and II, most prominently listing eight names from WWI alongside the biblical verse, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15):

“In proud & loving memory of the men of Paterangi who fell fighting for their country in the Great War.
1914-1918.”

It stands on the site of the former Pāterangi Presbyterian Church, destroyed by fire after being deconsecrated. Situated near Pāterangi Pā, a major fortification of the New Zealand Wars, the memorial is also part of a region deeply tied to colonial history, particularly between Māori and the Crown.

Description

The 40th & 50th Regiment Memorial, an obelisk erected in 1921, is located on private farmland along Bird Road between Pāterangi and Pirongia, west of Te Awamutu. This monument commemorates six soldiers from the 40th and 50th regiments who were killed in action at Waiari on 11 February 1864, during the New Zealand Wars.

The memorial is part of a network of war obelisks, including others at Pāterangi and Te Rore, and marks an area of layered historical significance, blending colonial military history with pre-European Ngāti Puhiawe (Ngati Hikairo) heritage. Nearby sites, such as Waddy’s Forward Post and Waiari Redoubt, further highlight the military activity in the region, although much of their physical evidence has been lost over time.