Iona touch lifts Anzac display

Iona College students Olivia Thomas (left) and Katie Holden with the unique Anzac display which has been set up at the school. Photo / Paul Taylor

For Havelock North's Iona College archivist Raylene Mabin it was clear that something a little more special was needed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli.

While the Department of Education had sent out boxes of Anzac display items of white crosses to all schools to put on show, she decided to give it a special touch, and with Iona being a college for young ladies decided on a "women in war" focus for the display.

So the school got in touch with the Red Cross who were happy to loan them a World War I nurse's uniform as well as a "widows" outfit - illustrating the losses of husbands and sons at Gallipoli, and throughout the whole war.

They also came up with an old Havelock North Red Cross banner which was very suitable, given Iona College's location.

Iona principal Shannon Warren said the display was effectively the first part of a strong focus on the 100th anniversary of Gallipoli.

"The year seven and eight girls are also making ceramic poppies which will make a lovely display on the hill outside the chapel," she said. The poppies are based on the similarly hand-made ones which went on display at the Tower of London last year.

There were 888,246 ceramic poppies made which progressively filled the tower's famous moat.

The Iona students are creating 600 poppies and the glazing process began on Friday.

"It has been such a great process for them to be involved in - it has been a whole-unit focus around art and social studies."

Mrs Warren said members of the public were welcome to view the display in the college foyer.