Poppy Day Appeal

• Published date: 19 April 2023
• Publication title: West Coast Messenger, The

It was completed and officially opened in 1924

RSA president Franco Horridge says the monument signifies an important part in West Coast history.

"Cenotaphs across the world were put up following the Great War. The Tainui Street location for our Greymouth cenotaph is a central point for everyone to remember the sacrifices of the soldiers during the Great War. The cenotaphs are a central point in New Zealand for Anzac day services." It has constantly served as Greymouth's focal point of memorial on Anzac Day, Armistice Day and other special commemorations every year since it was unveiled.

"It also commemorates Armistice Day, World War 2 and the Vietnam War, and is a symbol of the sacrifices made by all defence personnel, and is a place to remember.," Mr Horridge says.

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The following history of the Greymouth cenotaph was researched and written by Greymouth man Peter McIntosh.

Over 18,000 New Zealanders were killed on active duty during World War 1, most of them buried in foreign lands and more than a third with no known grave.

Such was the trauma inflicted by the war that in the aftermath, communities around New Zealand started to erect permanent memorials on an unprecedented national scale to commemorate the fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen, and medical personnel from their area who had been killed.

In the Grey district, a War Memorial Committee was established in June 1921 and it was decided that the Greymouth memorial would take the form of a cenotaph in following the lead of the memorial built in London.

Greymouth was one of 33 towns in New Zealand to adopt this war memorial form; the 472 other centres which built community war memorials most popularly chose, as well as various designs of statues, arches, towers, memorial gates and buildings.

By April 1922, the War Memorial Committee had £150 available towards a cenotaph to add to the efforts of the Greymouth Returned Servicemen's Association funds of £1000.

A public meeting held on the evening of September 26, 1922 decided upon the Tainui Street site for the cenotaph; known at that time as King's Garden, opposite the State school (later Grey Main and then Greymouth Intermediate).

On September 22, the town clerk Frank Denton called for designs and accompanying tenders from contracting firms for the construction of a cenotaph to serve as the Grey District Fallen Soldiers' Memorial.

Five tenders were received by the closing date of October 28, with the winning tender being awarded to Parkinson and Co...