Lyttelton War Memorial
Unveiled on 25 April 1923, the Lyttelton War Memorial was initially situated on Oxford Street before being relocated to Simeon Quay in 1936. It was relocated to Albion Square in 2014.
On 30 March 1920, a public meeting was held in the Lyttelton Borough Council chambers regarding the construction of a war memorial. One of the issues raised was the lack of suitable space in Lyttelton for a monument. Although J. Carson, the chair of the Lyttelton District High School Committee suggested that a memorial portico be installed in a proposed technical school, it was felt that the memorial should be a monument.
A committee was formed but over time its members failed to attend the required meetings.
At a meeting held in the council chambers on 16 February 1922, a new general committee was formed with a finance committee and a designs and works committee. The chair was Mayor William Thomas Lester.
Tenders for the construction of the memorial were advertised in May 1922.
The stone came from a quarry above Rapaki and the blasting work began on 17 July 1922.
The 26 foot cenotaph was designed by a former vicar of Lyttelton, Reverend Canon Coates. The base is made from Halswell blue stone, the structure is from locally quarried Rapaki stone, and the six panels are of Scotch granite. The two wreaths found on either side of the structure were carved by James Hood. The war memorial was also known as the Fallen Soldiers' Memorial.
The memorial was original situated on Oxford Street at the intersection with London Street.
Lord John Rushworth Jellicoe unveiled the cenotaph on 25 April 1923 in a ceremony that included other notable individuals such as the Minister of Defence, (Sir Heaton Rhodes), the Mayor, (W. T. Lester) and Deputy-Mayor, (Mr M. J. Miller). The unveiling was attend by 2000 members of the public including about 120 returned soldiers and sailors of Lyttelton.
Listed are the names of those who served in the First World War:
Hildyard Nona Mildred (Nursing Sister); Arnold Claude J. -M.M.; Baker Henry J.; Barnes Leonard C.; Bates Clinton M.; Bean Roye E.; Clarke Arthur W.; Coote Philip S.; Dobby George T.; Duffy Thomas.; Edman Herbert L.; Green Albert S.; Grubb William J.; Hawkes Herbert H.; Dennis Joseph E.; Halliday Robert A.; Harkess Bertie H.; Harper Lawrence A.; Hewitt Frederick C.; Hendry Colin C.; Holst Percy E.; Irvine Percy K.; Jory George L.; Jory Percy J.; Knowles Frederick; Knowles William E.; Lambert Bertram S.; Lester William A.; Lester Norman J.; Le Warne Frederick J.; Lewin Ernest H.; Lindsay James D.; Lewin Ernest H.; Lindsay James D.; Mackenzie David A.N.K.; Manihera Waitere; McLellan Alexander J.; McMinn Sydney V.; Mitchell Harry T.; Moore John R.; Olliver Oswald T.; Olsen Nelson C.; Pace Robert D.; Powley John C.; Radcliffe Charles E.; Rhind Ernest J.; Moore William H.; Rhind Hector; Rutherford Duncan; Rutledge Joseph W.; Retledge George R.; Reed Albert E.; Smith James R.; Smith Wilford K.; Steward Doric M.; Stenson Norman R.; Thomson Alfred; Vocan Alland D.; Varney Alfred J.; Watkins John M.; Wilson Adam B.; Stewart Royal S.;
The cenotaph's original location at the corner of Oxford and London Street was deemed to be a traffic hazard and it was subsequently moved to a site on Simeon Quay in 1936. The memorial was badly damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 and was removed, restored and re-erected as the centrepiece in Albion Square, the new civic centre for Lyttelton on the corner of London and Canterbury Streets, opened in 2014.
A Roll of Honour of those who died in the Second World War was subsequently added to the base of the monument.
References
Lyttelton War Memorial, Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16795, 29 March 1920, p.9.
Lyttelton News, Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16797, 31 March 1920, p.9.
Fallen Soldiers' Memorial, Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17382, 17 February 1922, p.9.
Tenders, Star (Christchurch), Issue 16738, 20 May 1922, p.1.
Lyttelton War Memorial, Star (Christchurch), Issue 16788, 18 July 1922, p.9.
Lyttelton's War Memorial, Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17747, 26 April 1923, p.10.
Lyttelton News, Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21961, 9 December 1936, p.21.
Lyttelton war memorial
The Lyttelton war memorial in Albion Square showing a wreath with the inscription "Their name liveth for evermore". Below are inscriptions that read "These gave their lives for us they died that we...
Lyttelton war memorial
The Lyttelton war memorial in Albion Square displaying an inscription which reads "Lest We Forget." "To the memory of the citizens of Lyttelton who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War. 1914...
Lyttelton war memorial
The Lyttelton war memorial in Albion Square showing a wreath with the inscription "Their name liveth for evermore". Below are inscriptions that read "These gave their lives for us they died that we...
Lyttelton War Memorial, Albion Square
Lyttelton War Memorial in Albion Square at 44 London Street in Lyttelton.