Wellington’s War Memorial.

Progress, Volume XVIII, Issue 6, 1 February 1923, Page 138

Wellington’s War Memorial.

A meeting of the Wellington Citizens' War Memorial Committee was held recently for the purpose of meeting the assessor, Mr. W. H. Gummer, of Auckland, and discussing with him the conditions of the competition for the design of the memorial to be erected, and the total sum that should be asked from the general public to erect a suitable memorial on the Manners Street site. Mr. J. P. Firth. C.M.G., chairman of the committee, presided, and there was a full attendance of members. On the motion of the chairman, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to the Mayor and members of the Wellington City Council for their fine spirit in unanimously and unhesitatingly granting such a site, notwithstanding its very great value, immediately it was sought for such a purpose. It was explained to Mr. Gummer that hitherto the committee had merely named £IO,OOO as the minimum that should be asked for from the public at present, and nad decided not to specify a definite amount until the question of site was definitely determined, and it then received the benefit of the advice of its assessor. In view of the fact that he had inspected the site that afternoon, Mr. Gummer was asked what amount the committee should ask for to erect a really suitable memorial on that spot considering the whole of the circumstances. Mr. Gummer, in reply, said he found the site a very 'fine one, and of such great worth as to demand the fullest use. To provide a fitting and adequate setting for such a memorial as they desired to erect would probably involve the screening of the Royal Oak Hotel, and he estimated that to erect a suitable memorial and to carry out this other work a sum of £25,000 was necessary. Such a sum., W estimated, would allow them to erect the memorial' in material of the greatest durability, and would allow them to indulge in sculpture and bronzes, providing bey end question a memorial that would be unique throughout Australasia. To his knowledge, no symbolical memorial had yet been erected in Australia and New Zealand costing more than £12,000. The amount he named, therefore, should provide them with something which would truly inspire, be really worthy, and would be known far beyond Wellington. The nature of the site, its situation, triangular shape, the possibilities presented in archi-

tecturally screening the building at the base, and the vista from Courtenay Place provided features from which an imaginative designer could produce a memorial that would be peculiar to Wellington and of high merit and appeal. It was unanimously resolved to fix £25,000 as the amount to ask the citizens of Wellington to provide, members of the committee confidently expressing the opinion that the amount would be duly forthcoming. Mr. Gummer was authorised to get the necessary survey and borings made and protographs taken preparatory to opening the competition, and to draft the conditions of the competition for approval by the committee. Mr. Gummer estimated that it would be necessary to allow six months for the competition, thereby ensuring the best results. A sub-committee was appointed to consider ways and means for raising the £25,000 recuired.