Museum News

• Recent Acquisitions

Explore New Zealand’s military history and check out the latest museum news, events and exhibits, plus details of our latest acquisitions.

• Tears on Greenstone Roimata Pounamu Memorial
• Gallipoli TV Documentary
• Golf Fundraiser
• Museum Recognised as a Responsible Tourism Operator
• New Registrar for the Museum
• Wings Over Wairarapa
• Countdown to New War Horses Exhibition
• Army Museum Embraces New Smart Phone Technology
• New Home For Army Museum Medal Collection
• Thames Gifted a Piece of Military History

 

Tears on Greenstone Roimata Pounamu Memorial

As we commemorate another ANZAC Day many are reminded of the ongoing need to pay respect to the fallen and to celebrate values that many New Zealanders consider either distinctive or admirable about their nation – mateship, unity, courage, self-sacrifice, loyalty – as well as the traditional commemoration of the day itself which has now adopted the atmosphere of national unity.

For the past 34 years, one of the National Army Museum’s most important roles continues to be that of a memorial to over 30,000 men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country.

In 1995 the museum constructed the Tears on Greenstone – Roimata Pounamu memorial wall. The Greenstone Wall, arguably the largest man-made greenstone structure in the Southern Hemisphere, was designed to commemorate the war dead of the New Zealand Army, Air Force, Navy and the Merchant Marine. It is a unique interpretation of the New Zealand Roll of Honour and a distinctly New Zealand Memorial, as the wall includes some 430 tiles of cut greenstone (nephrite jade).

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Gallipoli TV Documentary

The National Army Museum Archives has recently supplied a number of photographs to assist Prime (Sky Television) in the production of an upcoming documentary titled ‘The Forgotten General’  about the life and career of Major-General Sir Andrew Hamilton Russell. Russell commanded the New Zealand Mounted Rifles at Gallipoli and was a great leader who emerged from Gallipoli with his reputation enhanced rather than in tatters. He also commanded the 20,000 strong New Zealand Division on the Western Front during World War One.

The documentary airs on Sunday 21st April 8.35pm on Prime.

 

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Golf Fundraiser

March 2013 and the National Army Museum received a further donation cheque raised by the Ex Servicemen’s South Island Golf Tournament held annually at Burnham Camp.

The tournament has been running for 33 years and has raised in excess of $235,000 for the Museum. A special thanks to the organising committee.

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Museum Recognised as a Responsible Tourism Operator

The National Army Museum has recently been awarded an ‘Enviro-Silver’ endorsement by Qualmark, New Zealand’s official mark of quality assurance. The award recognises the Museum’s high level of commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

The assessment areas include: energy efficiency, waste management, water conservation, conservation and community activities.

Museum Marketing Manager, Nicola Bennett said, “we continue to work hard to minimise our environmental footprint by identifying ways we can reduce our waste and energy use. We are thrilled to be recognised for our efforts with a silver rating, an improvement on our bronze award from the year before.”

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New Registrar for the Museum

The National Army Museum welcomes Georgina Fell as its new Registrar. Georgie moved to Waiouru from Auckland where she was working for the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT) at Alberton, a romantic 19th century mansion located in the suburb of Mt Albert. She also undertook projects at the Thames School of Mines and out of the NZHPT’s Wellington office on Boulcott Street. Last year Georgie also completed her Master’s in Museum and Heritage Studies through Victoria University.

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Wings Over Wairarapa

Basked in glorious Masterton sunshine, the 2013 airshow was a huge success with the Mosquito bomber drawing big crowds over the weekend. The National Army Museum took a small display of vehicles including the Ferret Scout Car and Loyd Carrier as well as offering tracked cargo carrier rides on the M548 Armoured Personnel Carrier on Saturday much to the delight of hundreds of children and their parents.

The next airshow will be held in 2015 on Wellington anniversary weekend and the Museum is already planning its display with perhaps and anti-aircraft display. See our Facebook page for more photos of the airshow including the Mosquito.

 

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Countdown to New War Horses Exhibition

The forgotten story of New Zealand’s war horses is told in a major new exhibition titled “Harnessed: New Zealand’s War Horses” which opens on 7^th December 2012.

Over 20,000 New Zealand horses left the peaceful green pastures of home to be shipped across the world to foreign soils for two wars. Some did not survive the long sea journey while the rest took the troops into battle.

They survived on meagre rations and endured the heat and flies on the veldt or in the desert, through to the snow and mud on the Western Front. Some succumbed to disease and others to their battle wounds. When the guns were silenced only five would return home.

“Harnessed: New Zealand’s War Horses” tells their story.

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Army Museum Embraces New Smart Phone Technology

Those who own a smart phone can now enjoy a value added experience at the National Army Museum. We are offering new audio tours to communicate engaging stories about artefacts not otherwise told within the current displays.

Customers with smart phones are able to access these stories by downloading a simple free phone application. Once the application is open visitors can scan a code on the front of the display case within the museum to access the stories.

The Stqry phone application also supports many different languages. Marketing Manager, Nicola Bennett said “Our aim is to enhance the visitor experience at the museum and these stories are doing just that. We hope to continue to expand what we have on offer to include extras like a behind the scenes look at our different collections and other self guided tours.

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 New Home For Army Museum Medal Collection

The National Army Museum’s new interactive Medal Repository, displaying almost 10,000 medals, was formally opened by the Minister of Defence, Dr Jonathan Coleman on Thursday 16th August.

The repository houses the Army Museum’s full medal collection and allows families of soldiers and the public to see many icons of New Zealand’s military history.

The 16th of August was chosen as the date of the opening becuase it is a special anniversary for one of New Zealand’s most decorated heroes.

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Thames Gifted a Piece of Military History

The 25-pounder was legendary during World War II, considered as possibly the best field gun of the war.

The National Army Museum has recently gifted the community of Thames a 25-pounder artillery piece which sits outside the memorial hall and civic centre and has been carefully maintained by local veterans of the Korean War. What better timing than with another ANZAC Day upon us and the growing interest in understanding our national identity through our military history.

This Ordnance Quick Firing 25-pounder, originally on long term loan to the Thames RSA before it closed down, became the standard field gun for all of the British and Commonwealth Forces during World War II, and was later used by the Kiwis in Korea.

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Check out the latest New Zealand military history news and events for the National Army Museum.