A commemoration of the centenary of Armistice

The "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” - a commemoration of the centenary of Armistice

For immediate release
Monday 29 October 2018

This November sees the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day - at 11am on 11 November 1918, hostilities ceased across the many battlefields of World War I, finally bringing over four years of intense and costly fighting to an end. Auckland War Memorial Museum, the Auckland home of remembering and commemoration, will mark the end of the centenary of Armistice with a day of remembrance services and performances.

The centenary Commemorative Service will take place on at 11am on Sunday 11 November on the Court of Honour, in partnership with Fields of Remembrance Trust, NZ Defence Force, Ngāti Whātua Orākei and Auckland Council. Following the service, the Museum will host a rich programme including performances from the Play It Strange Peace Song Winners and the Royal New Zealand Artillery Band, along with choirs performing songs of remembrance and wartime favourites and much more.

As the sun sets on Armistice Day, Lone Piper Lex Calder will perform, followed by The Last Post on the front steps of the Museum at 8.25pm. The Museum's Armistice Illuminate projection will mark the end of the commemorations. This 15-minute looped film, projected onto the northern façade of the building, will be screened on Friday 9, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 November from 8.30pm until 11pm.

The film includes specially-created content using poignant images from the Museum's collection showing faces of those who served in World War I, alongside a moving poppy motif. The presentation will also feature a short film created by WW100, explaining how the impacts of WWI ricocheted around the world and can still be felt today.

The screening will take place against the backdrop of The Fields of Remembrance open now until Tuesday 20th November, where 18,277 white crosses representing every New Zealander who died WWI, have been installed into Auckland Domain by the Fields of Remembrance Trust.

An information kiosk is open daily from 10am–6pm where The Armistice 2018 Memorial Challenge Coin, will be available for purchase. These coins honour those New Zealanders who served and died for their country in WWI, and are also available from the Museum Store.

For the first time ever in the Museum’s history, the doors will stay open late until 8.15pm, with our espresso bar 1929remaining open until 8pm for food and refreshments. WWI and WWII tours of our galleries by experienced guides will be available at 5pm, 6pm & 7pm and the library will also be open, allowing visitors to discover the journey to peace in this boutique display of paintings, photographs, letters, and ephemera from our World War I collection.

The war memorial galleries, Pou Maumahara Memorial Discovery Centre, and Pou Kanohi New Zealand at War gallery will be open as per usual, but to the later time of 8.15pm.

This year's Illuminate projection will bring the centenary commemoration of Armistice to a close.

FIELD OF REMEMBRANCE
SAT 20 OCT – TUE 20 NOV, 9AM – 9PM
FREE, AUCKLAND DOMAIN
View a timelapse of The Field of Remembrance installation HERE
Bugler Sergeant Bill Rimmer performs each morning (7.00am Reveille) and evening (8pm Last Post) until 15 November.

ILLUMINATE - NEW ZEALANDERS IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR
FRI 9, SAT 10 AND SUN 11 NOV, 8.30PM - 11PM
FREE, MUSEUM'S NORTHERN FAÇADE

ARMISTICE 100
A day of performances and remembrance services
SUN 11 NOV, 10AM – 8.15PM
FREE WITH MUSEUM ENTRY, AUCKLAND MUSEUM
Full programme of events HERE

ARMISTICE 100 COMMERATION SERVICE
SUN 11 NOV, 11AM - 11.45AM (PLEASE ARRIVE BY 10.40AM)
FREE, COURT OF HONOUR, AUCKLAND MUSEUM

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