Just over a year after the end of World War 2 the Northern Advocate invited suggestions for a war memorial to honour the fallen of that war. A War Memorial Advisory Committee had been formed to represent the interests of the Whangarei Borough Council and the R.S.A. and the closing date for proposals was 15th March 1947. Some information on war memorial ideas was gathered from Britain, Australia and the U.S. to see what the current trends were. In 1947 R. E. Taylor had submitted the idea of a beacon on Parahaki.

Suggestions from various local bodies ranged from an Olympic pool, athletic stadium, country community halls and even Plunket Rooms and kindergartens. The proposals were narrowed down to two -- an obelisk on Mt Parahaki or a Parade Ground and monument in Cafler Park. At a second public meeting on 19th Oct 1948 the Parahaki Obelisk proposal received the majority vote.

In 1951 a postal vote was taken from residents of Whangarei and district as to the style of the memorial. In 1952 Internal Affairs Dept agreed to subsidise half the total cost of the agreed project and in the same year a new committee was set up to co-ordinate the Memorial Park, the "sacred shrine" and the scenic drive as there was no road formed to the summit at the time. The term "sacred shrine" is rather interesting in this context of a relatively modern European 'sculpture'.

Apparently the Obelisk on One Tree Hill, Auckland, caught the Committee's eye and on April 30 1954 they wrote to the architect requesting information on costings and a copy of the plans. The architect, Mr R. Anderson Abbott wrote back with detailed information and costings but was not so keen on supplying plans.

However, although they didn't get the plans, they did get the architect! It appears to have been fortuitous for Council that R. B. Finch; an architect working in Whangarei had previously been with the R. Anderson Abbott Auckland office and was largely responsible for the One Tree Hill Obelisk design. May 1954 the mayor approached Finch and he submitted designs of a column constructed mainly of natural stone, similar to the One Tree Hill Obelisk. Council however preferred the much less expensive option of a pre-fabricated metal column. Finch had initial concerns regarding the expansion/contraction difficulties with metal and different sheathing options were investigated.

By April 1955 Council had decided that the column would in fact be pre-fabricated metal and stainless steel sheathing with four bronze panels at the base designed by prominent Auckland artist, James Turkington. Budget restraints required the panels depicting land, sea, air force and combined services to be made of pre-cast concrete -- a not very attractive substitute.

Finally, 11 years later, after two committees and considerable debate where "feelings ran high" the Memorial was unveiled on ANZAC Day, 25 April 1957. Looking back it's interesting that the public chose a symbolic memorial over the other more utilitarian proposals that would probably now be obsolete or at least very dated.

Soon after completion the site was severely vandalised, however the Obelisk still stands today on its summit, 241 metres above sea level.

Text by Desmond Ford

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