The Waverley Clock Tower War Memorial stands sentinel over the town on an elevated piece of ground that was once home to the Wairoa Redoubt. On it are the names of 38 local men who went to WWI and never returned, (& 12 from WWII).
It took almost six years for the citizens of Waverley to decide how to honour their men killed in action. There were many meetings. The Hawera Normanby Star reports on a public meeting on 6 October 1923, held at the Town Hall. The Chairman Mr AJ Adlam, opened the meeting with his choice of Memorial being a Grandstand at the Domain. There were many locals in attendance; family members of dead soldiers and returned soldiers themselves. They all had very strong views of what should be constructed. Miss Elmslie, (sister of James & Ewen) said “a grandstand would be very nice, but was quite out of keeping with the object of the Memorial”. Another suggested that in view of the fact they had been offered the site of the old Wairoa Redoubt, something should be built on that site. Mr Frank Matthews, whose two sons were killed, sounded quite frustrated by the ‘suggestions being thrown around’ & made it quite clear that the amount in hand £706, was not enough to ‘build anything worthwhile’ and a carnival should be held to raise more money. Mr Adlam moved to build a Grandstand, Mr Heginbotham whole heartedly agreed and seconded it. Mr Catanach “did not consider that grandstand was a memorial at all”. He moved that a suitable Monument such as a Cenotaph or Clock Tower be built upon the Redoubt site. After much discussion Bert Symes said the meeting was not large enough to make a final decision and the four best schemes should be put to a public vote. So on the 23 October the Cenotaph, Library, Gates, Clock Tower were voted upon, and the Clock Tower won supreme. Bert Symes and Harold Dickie were RSA representatives for the project and worked hard with the Waverley Town Board to get the Clock Tower built.
The Waverley Clock Tower was designed by Mr R G Talboys, Wanganui and constructed at a cost of just over £1200. It was opened by the Prime Minister of NZ Joseph G Coates on Wednesday 28 October 1925. PM Coates, himself a returned serviceman, had seen action, mostly in Belgium, and was a respected Soldier, winning a Military Cross at Ypres and a Bar to his MC at Somme. He was a fine orator, and would have made a stirring address to the hundreds gathered that day. The plaque with the names of 38 Soldiers killed is also inscribed with the following quote: "For God and humanity they whose names are inscribed thereon men of this district laid down their lives in the Great War 1914-1918. Erected by their fellow citizens in proud and loving memory and as a thanksgiving that such men were of their number."
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