South Taranaki Wars Memorial (1912)

The South Taranaki Wars Memorial is situated in Normanby Domain on Ketemarae Road in Normanby. It records the names of 52 colonial servicemen who died in the area in the late 1860s and was unveiled by Prime Minister and MP for Egmont Thomas Mackenzie on 29 May 1912 - Mackenzie also unveiled the Waihi memorial that the same day. The memorial was constructed by Hāwera monumental masons Charles Jones and Sons, but the designer is unknown.

Formerly known as Victoria Park, the domain was the site of a redoubt built by settlers in 1879 to defend the district from a perceived threat from Parihaka.

Front (east) face inscription:

1912 / Lest we forget / This monument / was erected / to perpetuate / the memory of / a number of soldiers / who lost their lives / in this neighbourhood / during the Maori War / 1868 & 1869. / By numerous friends / subsidised by a grant / from the Government. / Also of the loyal Maoris / who fell whilst fighting / for the Queen. / Rev. Father Rolland / who spiritually ministered to the soldiers / during the war / died at Reefton July 13, 1903.

Rear (west) face inscription:

Augst. 1st. 1866.
Privt. Spain. T.M.S. [Taranaki Military Settlers]

Sept. 23rd. 1866
Trooper Haggarty W.Y.C. [Wanganui Yeomanry Cavalry]

Oct. 1866
Sergt. Duff. W.Y.C.
Privt. Green. Wnui.Ra. [Wanganui Rangers]
Vol. Wright.
Trooper Handley. W.Y.C.
Privt. Economedes. W.R. [Wellington Rifles]

Dec. 1866
Trooper Higinson. W.Y.C.

July 1868
Privt. Shean. Wn.Ra. [Wellington Rangers]
[Private] McCarthy.

Augst. 21st. 1868
Privt. Wallace. Wn.Ra.
[Private] Kerr. [Wellington Rangers]
[Private] Geary. [Wellington Rangers]
Const. McKoy. A.C. [Armed Constabulary]
Const. McKay. A.C.
Const. Dwyer. A.C.

Privt. McFarland.
Privt. Mitchell.

Left (south) face inscription:

June 9th 1868
Sergeant Cahill.
Private Clarke.
[Private] Squires.

June 12th 1868
Trooper Smith. A.C.

July 12th 1868
Captain Ross. A.C.
Sergeant McFadden. [A.C.]
Corporal Blake. [A.C.]
Constable Beamish. [A.C.]
[Constable] Gaynor. [A.C.]
[Constable] Holden. [A.C.]
[Constable] Ross. [A.C.]
Constables / Swords. A.C. / Shields. A.C.
R. Lennon. Storekeeper.

Sept. 1868

Privt. McGinesky Wn.Ra.

Jones & Sons, Hawera.

Right (north) face inscription:

Sept. 7th 1868.
Major Von Tempsky. F.Ra. [Forest Rangers]
Captain Palmer. P.Ri. [Patea Rifles]
[Captain] Buck. Wn.Ri. [Wellington Rifles]
Lieut. Hastings. Wn.Ri.
[Lieutenant] Hunter. [Wellington Rifles]
Corpl. Fennesy. A.C.
[Corporal] Russell. [A.C.]
[Corporal] Lumsden. Wn.Ri.
Privt. Grant. Wn.Ri.
[Private] Hughes. Wn.Ri.
[Private] Downs. P.Ri.
[Private] Darlington. [Patea Rifles]
[Private] Deeks. T.Vol. [Taranaki Volunteers]
Constables / Davis. A.C. / Elkin. [A.C.] / Farren [Farrand]. [A.C.] / Gilligan. [A.C.] / Hart. [A.C.] / O’Connor. [A.C.]