‘Less than a month’: Napier War Memorial site nears completion after extensive renovations

In "less than a month", the Napier War Memorial site on Marine Parade will be open to the public. Photo / Warren Buckland

The final pieces of a major restoration project at the Napier War Memorial site are under way, with the city’s mayor confirming the site will open to the public in less than a month.

The decision to remove the war memorial was made in 2016 and caused widespread anger in Napier because there were no firm plans at the time to reinstate it.

Work finally started on the project in October last year, with plans endorsed by original memorial designer and notable Hawke’s Bay architect Guy Natusch before his death.

Wise originally said the intention was for the project to be completed in time for Anzac Day commemorations in April, but it ran into more delays.

Napier City Council said elements such as the Roll of Honour plaques, Eternal Flame, mauri stone and flagpoles would be installed on Marine Parade over the next few weeks, meaning the area would no longer be a construction site.

“In less than a month, the War Memorial will re-open to the community. It’s going to be a place people can visit to remember loved ones, a place of reverence and a sanctuary,” Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said.

The 'Eternal Flame' will shine brightly in remembrance. Photo / Warren Buckland

The council said important parts of the build such as tiling have already been completed, and the upper and lower ponds were partway through the waterproofing process.

Audio-visual screens and coloured ceiling panels would also soon be installed, as well as pedestals for storyboard plaques, and balustrades and benches maneuvered into position.

There has also been a focus on preserving heritage aspects of the site, with a large historic birdbath dating back to the 1930s getting a new home near the easternmost pōhutukawa overlooking the lower pond.

The renovations also mark the return of the famous Napier Floral Clock, which had gone through a significant restoration process of its own.

The clock, which was gifted Napier by the Hurst family in 1955, was installed two years before the original Napier War Memorial Hall opened.

The council said some landscaping still needs to be completed now that the clock mechanism is back in place.

Part of the process includes the planting of the flowers that have been prepared in Napier City Council’s plant nursery.

The building work has been completed by local firm Atkin Construction Ltd, which won the original contract.

The renovated Napier Floral Clock is now at the Napier War Memorial site. Photo / Warren Buckland

The official rededication will take place at 9am on Sunday, August 6, with a dawn blessing taking place beforehand. This is set to be followed by an official ballroom naming ceremony.

The War Memorial, commemorating primarily those who had perished in the two world wars and incorporating a conference centre, opened in 1957.

Structural changes in 2015 led to rebranding for conference and events marketing purposes. A rebranding as the Napier Conference Centre also took place in 2017.

The following year, the complex was renamed the Napier War Memorial Centre, and it remains the home of council arm Napier Conferences and Events.