Special day for Oamaru Boer War Memorial

The daughter of William Graves, the man who raised much of the money to build Oamaru’s iconic Boer War memorial, will be the special guest at a ceremony later this month.

 

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) says the memorial re-dedication will be a major part of the official opening of the Thames Street Safety Project on Saturday, 20 June. This $3.2 million project will help reduce the number and severity of crashes on the section of Thames Street from Orwell Street to just south of Coquet Street. The crash rate in this area is much higher than expected for this type of urban state highway.

 

Project Manager Simon Underwood says part of the upgrade involved relocating the memorial from between the intersections of Thames and Severn Streets where it had stood for over 100 years, to another prominent site about 40m further south. Working with the community and Historic Places Trust along with the efforts of the contractors, were all key factors in successfully shifting the memorial. Mr Underwood said the official opening of the Thames Street Safety Project provided a unique opportunity to re-dedicate a local icon that holds a special place in the Oamaru and North Otago communities.

 

Waitaki District Council Chief Executive Michael Ross said those arranging the Thames Street Safety Project official opening felt it would be fitting to have William Grave’s daughter involved in the memorials re-dedication and her attendance will add something special to this important event.

 

The 4th Otago and Southland Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment will march through Oamaru’s main street to the Memorial in a “Freedom of the City” parade. This long running tradition gives the Battalion the freedom of the town. It has been over three years since the last “Freedom of the City” parade in Oamaru.