Hokitika Clock Tower | |
---|---|
The Hokitika Clock Tower in 2015 with a "150" sign commemorating the sesquicentennial of Westland the previous year [1] | |
Location | Hokitika, New Zealand |
Coordinates | 42°43′05.5″S170°57′49.5″E / 42.718194°S 170.963750°E |
Built | 1902–1903 |
Built for | Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee |
Architect | William Parkinson |
Governing body | Westland District Council |
Official name | Memorial Clock Tower |
Designated | 21 September 1989 |
Reference no. | 5054 |
The Hokitika Clock Tower, initially called the Westland War Memorial and then the Coronation and War Memorial, is a prominent landmark in Hokitika, New Zealand. The memorial was initiated, fundraised for, and carried out by a committee, to commemorate the region's contribution to the Second Boer War; not just the four local men who had died but all 130 who had gone to war in South Africa. An additional purpose was to provide Hokitika with a town clock.
The driving force behind the initiative was Henry Michel, the mayor of Hokitika at the time. After fundraising had begun, the upcoming coronation of Edward VII was announced and the tower was designated to also commemorate that occasion. Former resident of Hokitika and then premier of the country, Richard Seddon, lent his support, laid the foundation stone, and gave the main speech at the memorial's unveiling, some 17 months later in June 1903. Seddon's wife was a significant fundraiser in Wellington for the project, raising 7% of the cost, and was asked to unveil the tower. The work was undertaken by a stonemason in Auckland specialising in monumental sculpture, with the components all produced in their Auckland workshop and then shipped down for assembly on site. The four-faced town clock was ordered from England and installed by another Aucklander.
The memorial is within a roundabout on the main road into Hokitika and is practically unchanged, apart from the square iron fence that initially surrounded the tower having been replaced by a much larger circular concrete kerb. Since 1989, the tower has been on the national heritage register.
Hokitika is located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Former Hokitika resident, New Zealand premier, and representative of the local Westland electorate, Richard Seddon, agreed for troops to be sent to South Africa in September 1899. This was in support of Britain in their escalating conflict with the South African Republic. The Second Boer War broke out on 11 October 1899 and the Westland region would send 130 men to serve in South Africa, four of whom would be killed. [2]
A Peace Celebration Committee was formed in Hokitika in June 1900 and at their inaugural meeting, it was decided that a memorial should be erected, listing the names of all Westland men who went to war, [3] and to also commemorate the eventual peace. [4] The mayor of Hokitika Borough, Henry Michel, was the driving force behind the memorial. [5] In October 1901, it was decided to place the memorial in the middle of the intersection of Sewell and Weld streets, and to invite the premier to lay the foundation stone early in the coming year. [6] The selected site had previously been used for a memorial for four West Coast pioneers who drowned or were murdered in the 1860s: George Dobson, Charlton Howitt, Henry Whitcombe, and Charles Townsend. [7] This memorial had previously been relocated to Hokitika Cemetery. [8] The borough council granted the request for the site in late November 1901. [9] The following month, a public competition was held for a motto for the monument. The committee received 40 letters and the chosen motto was the Latin phrase Non sibi sed patriae meaning "Not for self, but for country". The chosen motto had been submitted by Miss Vida Perry and she won the one guinea (21 shilling) prize donated by the mayor. [10]
Motto | Submitter | Committee rating |
---|---|---|
Non sibi sed patriae (Not for self, but for country) | Miss Vida Perry | prize taker |
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori (It is sweet and fitting to die for the homeland) | Lucy Michel, Hokitika | commended |
Post cineres gloria venit (Glory comes after death) | F. H. Rickard, Hokitika | commended |
Each life wove a strand in the crimson cord | R. W. Greenwood, Greymouth | commended |
On 28 December 1901, Seddon sent a telegraph that he was leaving for Greymouth later that day to spend a week on the West Coast, during which time the foundation stone could be laid. The committee responded that there was insufficient time to prepare and would prefer to wait until his next scheduled visit on 14 February 1902. [12]
In his role as mayor, Michel asked mayors of other West Coast boroughs to also declare Friday, 14 February 1902 a public holiday [13] [14] and the mayors of the boroughs of Brunner, Ross, Greymouth, and Kumara did so. [15] [16] When Seddon arrived in Hokitika, his first official action was to drive the first pile for the railway bridge over the Hokitika River so that the railway could be extended south; what became known as the Ross Branch would reach Ross in 1909. Immediately afterwards, Seddon laid the foundation stone for what was then known as the Westland War Memorial. This was done as a full Masonic ceremony, with Seddon as Acting Grand Master representing the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. Both ceremonies were held in driving rain but there was a "very large attendance" by Westland people. [2] [17] As was usual at the time, the funds for the memorial were fundraised, and Louisa Jane Seddon (the premier's wife) had raised NZ£70 from ex-West Coasters who were living in the country's capital, Wellington. [7] [18]
It took more than a year to erect the monument. In the meantime, Edward VII had his coronation in August 1902 and it was decided to also designate the memorial in honour of this event. [2] It shares the dual function of a Boer War memorial and commemoration of Edward VII's coronation with memorials in Whanganui, Greymouth, Motueka, and Ashburton. The other New Zealand memorial that also commemorates peace, is in Marton. [4] The clock tower was unveiled on 3 June 1903 (the birthday of the Prince of Wales, George Frederick Ernest Albert), with perfect weather and a crowd of 5,000 onlookers; over 3,000 of them [19] arrived by train. The mayor of Hokitika Borough, Michel, spoke first, followed by the unveiling of the clock tower by Seddon's wife. Seddon himself then addressed the crowd with a long speech. Brief speeches were then given by Arthur Clifton (chairman of Westland County), Arthur Guinness (member of the House of Representatives for the Grey electorate), James Holmes (a Hokitika resident and member of the Legislative Council), and Major General James Babington (a Boer War veteran who at the time was the Commandant of the New Zealand Military Forces). [20] [21]
On 21 September 1989, the Hokitika Clock Tower was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (since renamed Heritage New Zealand) as a Category II heritage structure with registration number 5054. It is a prominent landmark in the town. [2]
The contract for the design and erection of the memorial was awarded to the stonemason William Parkinson of Auckland. [2] The company had previously produced the Trooper's Memorial [22] and the granite plinth for the Queen Victoria Statue, [23] both located in Auckland's Albert Park. [24] Although the foundation stone was laid in February 1902, it was not until July that year that the final design for the memorial was agreed on. The memorial was built in Auckland and then shipped to Hokitika for installation. A four-faced clock, manufactured by Gillett & Johnston in Croydon, England, [23] and installed by Alfred Bartlett [25] of Auckland, was to function as the town clock. [26] To combine the commemoration of a war memorial with the utility of providing a town clock is unusual in New Zealand. [27] There does not appear to have been any discussion about this dual-purpose in Hokitika. In contrast, the 1950s proposal to add a clock to the Invercargill Troopers' Memorial caused considerable controversy and was only agreed to as a practical means to getting the memorial renovated. [27]
The memorial has a square concrete base 3.4 metres (11 ft) wide and 0.91 metres (3 ft) high. The foundation supports four square bases; one for each corner. Two faces of each square face outwards, with these eight faces having a memorial tablet mounted on them. One of the tablets shows the chosen motto. The square bases support turned columns and turned caps. Above the four columns, arches with a keystone give a striking effect. The square tower above the arches holds the clock, with a circular stone surrounding each clock face. Moulded arches top the masonry part of the tower. A belfry is mounted on top, with iron columns, ironwork friezes, four chiming bells, topped by a copper cupola with a decorative iron finial. [23] Only four other Boer War memorials in New Zealand—Granity, Milton, Lawrence, and Featherston—have a cupola. [28] Except for the pillars, which are made of bluestone, the structure above the base is made of Mount Somers / Te Kiekie stone. To the top of the finial, the tower measures 11.4 metres (37 ft 6 in). [23]
The belfry had started to rust and was replaced in 1957. Initially, there was an iron chain rail at the square base of the footing. The iron chain rail was removed and the base slightly enlarged to form an octagon. A larger, circular ring was later added that supports the operation of the intersection as a roundabout. This concrete ring was later fitted with landscaping. [2]
Richard John Seddon was a New Zealand politician who served as the 15th premier of New Zealand from 1893 until his death. In office for thirteen years, he is to date New Zealand's longest-serving head of government.
Hokitika is a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island, 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika River. It is the seat and largest town in the Westland District. The town's estimated population is 3,120 as of June 2023.
The Ross Branch, officially known as the Hokitika Line since 2011, and previously as the Hokitika Industrial Line, is a branch line railway that forms part of New Zealand's national rail network. It is located in the Westland District of the South Island's West Coast region and opened to Hokitika in 1893. A further extension to Ross operated from 1909 until 1980.
The West Coast Rugby Football Union, formed in 1890, is the official governing body for rugby union in the Westland County, Hokitika Borough and Greymouth Borough districts, located in the West Coast provincial region of New Zealand, and is affiliated to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union. The West Coast RFU provincial representative team, a founding member of the National Provincial Championship, is based in Greymouth. It plays home matches at John Sturgeon Park.
Kumara was a parliamentary electorate in the West Coast region of New Zealand, from 1881 to 1890.
Hokitika is a former parliamentary electorate in the West Coast region of New Zealand, based on the town of Hokitika. It existed from 1871 to 1890 and was represented by nine members of parliament. For a time, it was one of the two-member electorates in New Zealand.
Charles Edward Button was a solicitor, Supreme Court judge, Mayor of Hokitika and later Birkenhead, and an independent conservative Member of Parliament in New Zealand. Born in Tasmania, he came to New Zealand with his wife in 1863. He first lived in Invercargill, then in Westland, and after a brief period in Christchurch, he settled in Auckland. He was an MP for two periods, and when he was first elected to Parliament, he beat his colleague, friend, political opponent, and later Premier Richard Seddon; this was the only election defeat ever suffered by Seddon.
Joseph Grimmond was a gold miner and politician from the West Coast, New Zealand. He was mayor of Ross for many years, represented the Hokitika electorate in the House of Representatives for one term, and was later called to the Legislative Council.
Westland High School, previously Hokitika High School or Hokitika District High School, is a secondary school in Hokitika, New Zealand.
The Westland Boroughs by-election 1868 was a by-election held in the Westland Boroughs electorate during the 4th New Zealand Parliament, on 3 April 1868.
James Holmes was a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from Hokitika on the West Coast.
Henry Leslie Michel was Mayor of Hokitika for several years, and served on the New Zealand Legislative Council from 1918 until his death. He had stood for the New Zealand Parliament on four occasions, in later years for the Reform Party, but was unsuccessful.
Westland County, also known as County of Westland, was a local government area on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It existed from 1868 to 1873, and then from 1876 until 1989. In its first incarnation, it constituted the government for the area that was split from the Canterbury Province, with the West Coast Gold Rush having given the impetus for that split. It had the same administrative powers as a provincial council, but the legislative power rested with Parliament in Wellington. The first Westland County was the predecessor to Westland Province.
The Mayor of Grey, often referred to as the Mayor of Greymouth, officiates over the Grey District of New Zealand which is administered by the Grey District Council with its seat in Greymouth. The current Mayor is Tania Gibson. Two predecessors to this office were the Mayor of Greymouth, officiating over the Greymouth Borough Council from 1868, and from 1877 the chairman of the Grey County Council.
Arthur Montague "Joe" Ongley was a New Zealand lawyer, politician, and cricket and rugby union player and administrator. Born in Oamaru, he later lived in Wellington, Napier, and Hokitika, before settling in Feilding. He excelled in a number of sports and Ongley Park in Palmerston North, used for cricket and rugby, is named for him. His most notable sporting activity was as a cricketer, and he played four first-class matches. He served as an administrator on the New Zealand Cricket Council and was the organisation's president. He was a solicitor and then barrister in Feilding, and became Crown Solicitor in Palmerston North. He was a member of the Feilding Borough council and was the town's mayor from 1913 to 1919.
The Clock Tower Chambers, also known as the Westport Municipal Chambers, are the former municipal offices in Westport, New Zealand. Built during World War II, the building has been described as "possibly the jewel in the crown of West Coast historic buildings". It has a Category I registration with Heritage New Zealand.
Hokitika Museum is a museum in Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand, and is the West Coast's largest museum and archive. It is housed in the historic Hokitika Carnegie Library building. Exhibitions include information about the gold rush and the unique West Coast stone pounamu (greenstone) and its value to Māori. The museum also holds a significant photographic collection. Seismic strengthening requirements closed the museum in September 2019. According to the Westland District Council Web site as of December 2021 the museum had not yet reopened.
This statue of Richard Seddon is in Hokitika, on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The statue is situated on Sewell Street, outside the Government Buildings known as Seddon House.
The Westland Pioneers' Memorial is a statue in Hokitika, New Zealand, commemorating the pioneer settlers of Westland. Unveiled in 1914, the statue had its right arm broken off in 2009 and was subsequently dubbed Venus de Hokitika. The memorial was relocated in 2016 from its original location on the side of State Highway 6 to the centre of a roundabout in one of Hokitika's main streets.
The Westland Explorers' Monument, also known as the Explorers' Monument, is an obelisk in Hokitika, New Zealand. It commemorates four men who lost their lives on the West Coast of the South Island between 1863 and 1866. The impetus for its erection in 1868 was the 1866 murder of George Dobson, and early on the monument was referred to as the Dobson Memorial. It was then referred to as the Weld Street Monument in reference to its original location in the centre of the intersection of Weld and Sewell streets. Deemed a traffic impediment, it was shifted to Hokitika Cemetery in 1880, but an even larger structure, the Hokitika Clock Tower, was put in its place at this intersection in 1902/1903.