Honouring Waipu's proud past

The two monuments are a rich part of Waipu's history that serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made. Driving through the centre of Waipu, you can't miss the two monuments standing proudly. Both are memorials of great importance in Waipu's history. One honours the arrival of the Highland Nova Scotian settlers in September 1854. The other pays tribute to those who gave their lives for their country in the two World Wars and other conflicts that followed. In 1913, serious fundraising began for the memorial to Nova Scotian pioneers, raising a hefty 1400 pounds sterling. Peterhead red Scottish granite was shipped in six pieces from Scotland for the monument. Auckland monument masons Parkinson and Bouskill – who are still in business today – were commissioned to sculpt the prized monument. The hexagonal base commemorates each of the six ships that carried the settlers from Nova Scotia. It also includes details of the ships and clans represented in the migration, as well as Gaelic inscriptions and ornaments depicting the Scottish thistle, the Canadian maple leaf and the New Zealand fern. At the top of the monument is the Scottish Lion Rampant. Not everyone was in favour of the monument at the time. In the Northern Advocate on May 8, 1913, Carl Grip wrote, 'Waipu is on the edge of making itself ridiculous…. Just to spend 700 pounds for a useless lump of stone! No!' One wonders what he thought then of the eventual cost of the monument! However, it was clearly popular with most of the local population, with around 1000 people attending its unveiling on December 13, in 1914, despite the unfavourable weather. The second monument was erected to honour 25 men from the Waipu District who lost their lives in World War One. The Australian granite monument was unveiled at a ceremony in 1921, attended by around 800 people. Since then, names of those killed in World War Two have been added, along with wider acknowledgement of all those who served and those who were killed in other conflicts in which New Zealand has been involved. It is the focal point for Anzac Day commemoration parades to this day. Now over 100 years old, these two monuments are a rich part of Waipu's past, but remind us every day of those who risked and sacrificed so much to ensure that we can have a better way of life.