Centennial celebrations for Kaiparoro’s Anzac Bridge 1922-2022

Kieran McAnulty asking Fay Paku to come forward and cut the ribbon. Chairman Peter Bryson on left and patron Jack Hayes on right holding the ribbon ready to be cut.

The Anzac Memorial Bridge at Kaiparoro has turned 100 years old and the Friends of the Anzac Memorial Bridge and the community held a commemoration service on Saturday, December 3, to mark the event.

A large crowd attended the commemoration, many of whom were family members of those whose names are etched on the bridge.

The bridge is a living memorial to the men and women who fought in World War I and World War II. The plaque on the bridge specifically mentions nine servicemen and women who came from the district and who died in the two wars.

The bridge in the sunshine.

It was designed, and its construction was supervised by the distinguished civil engineer Alfred Falkner, whose accomplishments also include designing the Hurunui Bridge and planning the route of the Wellington to Manawatū Railway. Additionally, Alfred was involved in designing the water supply system for Eketahuna.

The Anzac Memorial Bridge is significant because it is both a monument dedicated to the Anzacs and a functioning bridge. These aspects are individually rare within New Zealand, and their combination in the Anzac Memorial Bridge means it is a unique structure, being registered as a Category 1 historic place by New Zealand Historic Place Trust, now Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, in 2010.

A re-enactment of the official opening, including cutting the ribbon with the original scissors, took place along with the laying of the wreaths.

A formal luncheon was served after the commemoration where guests swapped stories of the heroism of past servicemen and women. The celebrations were also an opportunity to recognise the tremendous effort by the community to restore the bridge for future generations. The new book A Century of Service, compiled by Glenys E Hansen, captures these stories and the key moments in the life of the bridge.