New Zealand First to mark First World War Centenary
A ceremony to mark the beginning of the First World War for New Zealand will take place on Monday 4 August in Parliament
Grounds, Wellington, from 9.00am. Public are welcome to attend the ceremony, which will also be webcast live onwww.youtube.com/WW100nz .
In 1914, Britain’s proclamation of war was read out to an excited Wellington audience of 15,000 in the grounds of the
New Zealand Parliament by Lord Liverpool, Governor of New Zealand. With a sense of duty and adventure, New Zealand men
rushed to sign up to fight for King and country, ready to cross the globe to reach the European battlefields before the
‘short war’ ended. Ten percent of our population of one million served overseas, of which more than 18,000 died and over
40,000 were wounded. Nearly every New Zealand family was affected.
Led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition, the programme
for this ceremony is available herehttp://ww100.govt.nz/national-ceremonies . The original proclamation of war will be read from the steps of Parliament Buildings and members of the New Zealand
Defence Force, dressed in First World War replica uniforms, will lower the flags on Parliament forecourt, with the
support of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band. The Last Post will be played and the Ode read. At the conclusion of the
ceremony, invited guests will place the last ten crosses on the Field of Remembrance Trust’s field of 100 white crosses
on the Parliamentary lawn.
As part of the ceremony, members of the 16th Field Regiment of the Royal New Zealand Artillery will fire a 100-Gun
Salute from the waterfront in front of Te Papa at approximately 9.20am. This will also be webcast live on www.youtube.com/WW100nz .
“WW100, our programme for the First World War centenary, focuses on New Zealand’s experience of the war at home and
overseas,” says Hon Christopher Finlayson, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage and Minister responsible for WW100.
“This ceremony is the first national commemoration in a programme that is largely community-led supported by Government
initiatives and national and international commemorations and projects.”
New Zealand will be the first on 4th August to formally mark the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World
War. Australia will mark the date with an evening Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial Museum. His
Excellency The Governor-General, Sir Jerry Mataparae, will represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth ceremony at Glasgow
Cathedral, Hon Tony Ryall will attend a concurrent ceremony at Liege in Belgium. New Zealand’s High Commissioner to
Great Britain, Hon Lockwood Smith, will attend a vigil at Westminster Cathedral.
Other related events on 4 August include a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior by New Zealand
Defence Force Service chiefs and events for the launch of NZ Post’s First World War commemorative stamps and coins
including a Memorial March from Queens Wharf to Te Papa in Wellington.
An overview of the WW100 programme, annual themes and historical information is available here http://ww100.govt.nz/about . Media resources including images and the WW100 symbol are here http://ww100.govt.nz/for-media .
ENDS