THE SIMPLE CENOTAPH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20420, 23 November 1929, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE SIMPLE CENOTAPH.

The Court of Honour is approached from tho Domain Drive by a wide avenue that will be flanked with trees. Tho slope has been excavated * regular grade, and only now has this work reached a stage that enables one to sea the Cenotaph and the front of the building in their true beauty and proportions. It may not be known by everyone that the memorial significance of the Cenotaph lies in its crown, which takes the form of a sarcophagus. This rests upon a beautifully proportioned pylon. It stands on the axial line of the building, and viowed along a direct line to the ceritro of the building it is found to be framed precisely in the space between tho two centre columns of (ho colonnade. Thus the harmonies of design are preserved, and as this monument stands in the pathway to the building its forms suggests strength to cleave the stream of traffic as is the case with tho prototype in Whitehall. As another link with the Motherland the Cenotaph is finished in Portland stone from England. The core, however, is of reinforced concrete, which gives additional stability in caso of earthquake disturbances.

On the north and south sides of the pylon wreaths arc sculptured, and below is (lie dedicatory inscription, "The Glorious Dead," and the year 1914 on one side and 19J8 on the other in Roman characters.

Surmounting the sarcophagus lies a wreath in bronze. Bronze flag standards project from the cast and west side's. Those on tho east will carry the Union Jack, the White Ensign of the Royal Navy and tho Blue Ensign of the Royal Naval Reserve. On the west again will hang the Union Jack, tho White Ensign and the Red Ensign of the Merchant Marine. The Court of Honour in which the Cenotaph stands is a paved area, that is reached by seven steps 116 ft. wide from the approach avenue. It is 280 ft. long, the width of the front of the building, and 90ft. wide. Tho paving is of grey with a design worked through it in dark lines.

From the Court of Honour one ascends to the ground level of the building by a double flight of seven steps. There is thus a sense of unity in respect of the memorial features. The Cenotaph is linked with the colonnade which carries forward the memorial spirit to the wall and upward to the pedmerit upon which is carved the utterance of Pericles.