Brief History

The original War Memorial was built by public subscription in 1956 in memory of those who lost their lives in the Second World War conflict.

It was renovated and enlarged by the Napier City Council in 1995 to continue as a living, working memorial, befitting those Napier Citizens who served and died in this century's conflicts.

Originally the Roll of Honour included only the names of those that lost their lives in the Second World War, who resided in the Napier Borough. The City now has wider boundaries, and three addition plaques now record the names of those from the wider Napier City area, from Bay View to Meeanee and Taradale. As the City's permanent inscription of World War I losses was destroyed in the 1931 Earthquake, the new upper tier of names has been added. Another plaque records those who died in the post World War II conflicts.

This expanded Roll of Honour was rededicated on the 30th of September 1995 at the facilities reopening as the War Memorial Centre in the 50th year since the end of World War II.

The creation of this new and complete Roll of Honour was a joint project between the Napier City Council and the Napier and Taradale Returned Services Association assisted by a grant allocation from the 'New Zealand Remembers' fund. The bicultural rededication service was conducted by the Napier City Council of Churches attended by the Seventh Battalion (Wellington, (City of Wellington's own), and Hawke's Bay) Regiment Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.

Regrettably, due to the disrepair the hall had fallen into, the Memorial Eternal Flame was extinguished years ago. At the rededication ceremony the Eternal Flame was relit by Napier's oldest soldier, World War I veteran and former Mayor, Mr E.R (Ron) Spriggs M.B.E.

May future generations ensure that the eternal flame is never again extinguished.