Anzac bridge lined up for recognition

17 February 2010

MEDIA RELEASE

Anzac bridge lined up for recognition

A poignant reminder to Wairarapa locals that died while serving their country during the two world wars is being proposed for national recognition by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT).

The Anzac Memorial Bridge, 8km south of Eketahuna at Kaiparoro next to State Highway 2, was completed in 1922. On Anzac Day the following year its memorial plaques that included the names of six locals killed during World War One were unveiled. A further three people were honoured with a plaque on the bridge’s interior following World War Two.

The bridge is being considered for a Category I listing on NZHPT’s National Register because of its aesthetic, historical, social and technological significance.

A comprehensive NZHPT registration report has been prepared and is available to view online at www.historic.org.nz. Under the Historic Places Act (1993), places with “special or outstanding historical or cultural heritage significance or value” may be accorded the highest ranking of Category I status.

NZHPT researcher Karen Astwood said the Anzac Memorial Bridge has outstanding significance because of its dual role as a war monument and function as a one-way traffic bridge – these combined aspects making it rare within New Zealand.

“The association with World War One and the Anzacs is particularly strong,” Ms Astwood said.

“The bridge includes several enlarged replicas of World War One medals, one of which is the 1914/15 Star, awarded to those who served at Gallipoli.

“The social importance the bridge has to the community is also immense. Given the relatively small population of the Kaiparoro district it’s likely everyone in that community had a connection to those commemorated on the bridge.”

The bridge remained a prominent landmark till the road was deviated away from it in 1956. Over the next 50 years the bridge had minor periods of community-driven repair and restoration. Then in 2006 the newly-formed Friends of Anzac Memorial Bridge Kaiparoro Incorporated initiated a restoration project that included connecting it to the nearby WA Miller Reserve to allow for easier walking access.

NZHPT encourages people to send in letters of submission with comments on the report or the proposal for registration, with the closing date 5 March. The submissions will be reviewed internally before a final recommendation is put to the NZHPT Board.

Though the bridge was first identified in 1985 as being a place of historic significance by NZHPT, formal recognition through registration is now being sought.

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