Historic Graves and Monuments

Other Monuments and Sites

New Zealand Memorial in Korea

Korean War Memorial

The memorial commemorates New Zealand’s contribution in the Korean War. It is located in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery Korea (UNMCK) in Busan, where most of the New Zealanders who died in that conflict are buried. Prime Minister Helen Clark unveiled the memorial on 19 November 2005 during her visit to Korea for the APEC meeting. The ceremony was attended by 17 New Zealand Korean War veterans along with other distinguished guests. [See also: transcript of the Prime Minister's speech at the unveiling on Beehive website.]

Images from the unveiling

Flag being lifted off Korean War memorial

Some 6,000 New Zealanders served with the United Nations’ forces in the Korean War and its aftermath (1950-57). The memorial is dedicated to those 6,000 who served, and commemorates the 45 who died, 34 of whom are buried in the cemetery, where 2 navalmen with no known graves are also commemorated.

The memorial project was supported by the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the New Zealand Embassy in Korea, Korean Air (which transported the 5.7 tonne memorial to Korea free of charge), the United Nations Memorial Cemetery, Korea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand, New Zealand Defence Force, Te Puni Kokiri, and the New Zealand Korean Veterans’ Association.

Design and Symbolism of the Memorial

Korean War Memorial

The memorial is an all-New Zealand creation. It was designed by Warren and Mahoney Architects, and the Coromandel granite panels were cut and polished by Trethewey Granite and Marble Limited of Auckland, supervised by John Edgar. The bronze inscription and interpretation plaques, and the emblems of the New Zealand Army, Navy and the United Nations were cast by The Heavy Metal Company Limited of Seaview, Lower Hutt.

The surface pattern of the memorial, designed by Fred Graham, is based on a Māori woman’s chin tattoo. Known as a moko, it was traditionally a sign of adulthood, an indication that the wearer was able to bear pain and take on responsibilities. Women suffer keenly from the loss of loved ones in wartime. Here the design represents New Zealand as the mother of all who served their country in wartime, and the strands running down side by side, Army and Navy, are shown merging with a third party, the United Nations. Along the sides of the memorial are 45 cuts into the stone, each marking the loss to New Zealand of a serviceman who died during the Korean War. The inscription on the memorial is written in English, Maori and Korean.

New Zealand Memorial, Canberra

A memorial celebrating the co-operative relationship between New Zealand and Australia was unveiled by the Prime Ministers of both countries at a dedication ceremony in Canberra on 24 April 2001.

Situated at the head of Canberra's ceremonial avenue, Anzac Parade, the memorial takes the form of two bronze arches, each representing the handle of a flax basket or kete. Based on the proverb 'Mau tena kiwai o te kete, maku tenei' or 'Each of us at a handle of the basket', the kete symbolises the shared 'load' and experience of Australians and New Zealanders, with the dynamic form of the handles emphasising the ongoing evolution of that relationship.

Drawing of the Canberra memorial

Each handle is distinct, with one handle representing Australia, and the other New Zealand. On the Australian side, Daisy Nadjungdanga from Maningruda in the Northern Territory has designed an Aboriginal motif for the paving beneath the handle, using stone of Australian origin. Toi te Rito Maihi and Allen Wihongi from Northland have created a Maori design for the paving on the New Zealand side, with the stone originating from Coromandel, Golden Bay and Canterbury.

The special bond forged between Australia and New Zealand during times of war is acknowledged on the paved area beneath each handle. In a ceremony on 26 February 2001, soil from Chunuk Bair, Gallipoli was buried in a rimu box on the New Zealand side, while on the Australian side, soil from Lone Pine, Gallipoli was buried in a box made from Australian jarrah. The campaigns in which New Zealanders and Australians have served side by side are also inscribed on concentric circles radiating from each handle.

For further information on the New Zealand Memorial please see the National Capital Authority website.

Anzac Commemorative Site, Gallipoli

An Anzac commemorative site was built at Gallipoli in conjunction with the Australian government and with the approval of the Turkish government. The new site was dedicated on Anzac Day 2000 by the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand.

Painting of the Anzac Cove site

Built three hundred metres north of Ari Burnu cemetery, the site of past Anzac Day dawn services at Gallipoli, this site is dominated by a rocky hill named the Sphinx. It was one of the first landing places of the ANZAC force and was one of the main places where the evacuation took place, nine months later.

See the Gallipoli Guide on our Anzac Day website for further images and of this site (including a 3-d panorama).

Tomb of the Unknown Warrior

In 2004 the unit worked to establish the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at the National War Memorial in Wellington. See www.nationalwarmemorial.govt.nz for further information.