Foundation Stone: 100 years

In November 2029 Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum will celebrate the significant milestone of reaching 100 years since it first opened to the public at its current location on Pukekawa, in Auckland’s Domain. Though Auckland Museum was instituted in 1852, the relocation to the prominent neoclassical building it has now inhabited for nearly a century signified a new focus for the institution – a novel combination of the city’s museum with Auckland’s new War Memorial.

The Auckland War Memorial Museum’s centenary officially starts on the 1st of August this year with the commemoration of 100 years since the laying of the Foundation Stone. On that winter’s afternoon in 1925, dignitaries from across New Zealand and a large group of Auckland citizens converged on what was then known as “Observatory Hill” or “Domain Hill” to take part in the event.

View from Domain Hill to Mt. Hobson prior to the Museum being built, circa 1910s – sys id 1088718. P — View from Domain Hill to Mt. Hobson prior to the Museum being built, circa 1910s.
Vaughan Collett Cooper. View from Domain Hill to Mt. Hobson. Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Pae

The laying of the stone is a symbolic milestone in the construction of many grand public buildings, going back to ancient times. The ceremony marks the end to the first important stage of building works – the construction of a solid base to support the rest of the superstructure. It is also a moment to reflect upon all the hard work that had gone into getting the project to this point. The laying of the stone was the first public event held to recognise the significance of the new War Memorial and Museum building and was an opportunity to signal to Aucklanders that their donations were being invested in a grand and worthy cause.

Princes Street Museum, Auckland Museum premises from 1876 to 1929, photographed by Burton Brothers. Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira.
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Auckland Museum had outgrown its premises at Princes Street and under the leadership of Curator Thomas Frederick Cheeseman had successfully negotiated the lease of the Domain site with Auckland City Council with the passing of the Auckland Institute and Museum Site Empowering Act 1918. This coincided with public discussion at the end of the Great War about the need for a suitable war memorial, and the Government’s plans to distribute trophies of war to the major New Zealand cities.

In October 1920 Mayor James Gunson formed the Auckland Provincial War Memorial Fund Committee, or Citizen’s Committee, and together with Cheeseman resolved the most appropriate course of action was to combine the Museum with a War Memorial on the Domain site. The citizens of Auckland were called upon to make donations towards the project, and ultimately the bulk of the funds were collected through public donation.

In September 1922 architects Grierson, Aimer and Draffin Ltd, were selected through an international public competition for designs which was overseen by renowned Wanganui based architect (and Antarctic explorer) Charles Reginald Ford.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 193, 15 August 1924, Page 4

In July 1924 the Hansford and Mills Construction Company Ltd., a predominantly Wellington-based company, won the contract to construct the Museum. They had made a name for themselves for the construction of Parliament House, Wellington.

With the necessary contractors lined up, the groundwork started promptly in August. What was to follow was a busy five-year period to complete the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

View of early construction progress of Auckland Museum c.1924.

Photographs of the site taken prior to the ceremony show extensive foundation works had been carried out. The site had been excavated and flattened, reinforced concrete had been poured, and the stone base had been laid. Steel framing for the tall doric columns had been put in to support the later construction of levels one and two of the Museum.

View of early construction progress c.1924.
_{[Auckland Museum] (1920s). Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira. PH-NEG-C1199.}

The stone for the building foundations was tonalite sourced from Moehau Quarries in the Coromandel. The Museum’s records detail rigorous testing that was undertaken on a variety of stones before selection. All labour to dress the stonework was carried out onsite, a requirement stipulated in the building contract, and a commitment made to provide work for local tradesmen.

The stone laying ceremony was delayed at least twice due in part to building material delays. Issues concerning the supply of stone for the superstructure had been resolved, with a last-minute switch from the Hawkesbury Quarries stone supplier of New South Wales to Portland Stone limestone from England (Auckland Citizens War Memorial Committee Minutes dated 10th July 1925; MUS-1997-20).

Increasing building costs were also a concern. Appeals for donations were being made contemporaneously to the building being erected. The Foundation Stone ceremony was an important opportunity to highlight to the public the significance and worthiness of the building. Garnering ongoing public support was needed to sustain the project, which ultimately took just over 4 years in total to complete.

Men sculpting front column of Auckland War Memorial Museum
_{Auckland War Memorial Museum under construction (1920s). Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira. PH-ALB-458-2}

Setting the date

A memorandum from Chairman James Gunson to members of the Citizen’s Committee dated the 22nd of July noted the confirmed date for the Foundation Stone ceremony to be the 1st of August. On this day, letters to important officials were also sent out from Director Gilbert Archey calling for attendance.

Copy of invitation sent to Major General C. W. Melville, General Officer commanding the New Zealand military forces, to attend and speak at the ceremony.
_{Auckland Museum and Institute (1925) Correspondence. Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira. MUS-1995-41_Melville}

Despite the short notice, a large gathering of Auckland citizens dressed in their fineries joined together in the Domain to glimpse the progress of the building.

The construction site was decorated to mark the occasion. Colorful flags and bunting were attached to the construction rigging and exposed steel reinforcing. A temporary wooden platform, adorned with ferns and shrubs, was raised in the corner of the building where the foundation stone was to be laid, for the speakers to be seen and heard by the crowd below. This was at the Northeast corner of the building, where the Foundation Stone can still be seen today.

Auckland War Memorial Museum Foundation Stone Ceremony Order of Service, 1925
_{Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira (1925). Auckland War Memorial Museum Foundation Stone Ceremony, 1925. Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira. EPH-AM-4-11}

The Municipal Band played to welcome citizens and special guests alike. Members of the Returned Services Association gathered in the crowd, with an area reserved especially for them. Returned personnel were encouraged by advertisements in the paper to wear their war medals. Acknowledged also are attendees from the Auckland Veterans Home by special invitation.

The caliber of the dignitaries invited to attend the ceremony reflected the importance of the occasion. Prime Minister Joseph Gordon Coates travelled from Parliament in Wellington in place of the Governor General Sir Charles Fergusson. An armed guard of young military cadets was formed in honour of welcoming the arrival of the Prime Minister. Deputy Mayor of Auckland James A. Warnock was also in attendance, and the Second Anglican Archbishop of New Zealand Dr Alfred Walter Averill. And, Major-General Charles William Melville, who at the time was the officer in command of the New Zealand forces, completed the list of official guests.

Auckland Weekly News (6 August 1925). Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira. DU436.12

It was Sir James Gunson, former Mayor for Auckland and now chairman of the Citizens Committee who presided over the ceremony.

He welcomed the crowd and spoke of the significance of the site as Auckland’s War Memorial, a tribute to those lost at war, and those who returned. He also acknowledged the people of Auckland’s support for funding the building. He noted the efforts of the late Thomas F. Cheeseman, curator of Auckland Museum for over 50 years. Cheeseman’s successor Gilbert Archey was also present and acknowledged by Gunson; himself a returned officer from the New Zealand Field Artillery.

Deputy Mayor Warnock spoke on behalf of the Auckland City Council, acknowledging the work carried out to provide the Domain for the building. The Auckland Star noted that Warnock commented on the special features of the site, making it ideal for this purpose. The article notes;

The memorial... would stand up overlooking the whole city, a splendid structure, majestic in its proportions and graceful in its lines, a continual reminder of the debt of gratitude the people owed to those in whose honour it-was erected. It would also stand out as an inspiration to the citizens of the generations yet unborn, to continue to beautify and ennoble their city of which the citizens were so justly proud.

After the official speeches the commemorative foundation stone was laid, overseen by Prime Minister Joseph Gordon Coates. Photographs printed in the newspapers of the time show that a crane was used to hoist the granite stone into place. The stone bears on one side a special blue pearl granite face, bearing an inscription marking the date and name of the Prime Minister.

Drawings of the Foundation Stone in the Museum’s collection detail a cavity in the base of the stone into which a bronze casket time capsule was placed. This casket contains a copy of the Archbishop’s prayer delivered earlier in the proceedings, a history of Auckland, and of the Museum, the daily newspapers and the official list of the subscribers to the building fund. The casket remains in the stone today, permanently encapsulated into the fabric of the building.

After the laying of the stone, architects Grierson, Aimer and Draffin, and the building contractors Hansford and Mills Ltd., presented the Prime Minister with a carved wooden presentation box to commemorate the occasion. Enclosed in the wooden box was a silver trowel representing the work of the architects, and a carved wooden mallet, representing the work of the building contractors. These implements were ornamental, made of wood, pounamu and silver, and the set was manufactured by A. Kohn Ltd.

The presentation set was later gifted to the Museum by the family of Prime Minister Coates in 2013 and is now on display in the Southwest corridor next to the Tāmaki Herenga Waka gallery.

Architect Hugh Grierson handing over presentation set to Prime Minster Coates.
_{New Zealand Sporting & Dramatic Review (6 August 1925, p.14). Auckland Libraries}

At this point the Prime Minister gave his public address. He acknowledged the hard work of all the parties involved to get to this point. He also spoke of the relevance of the date they were gathered, being only 3 days from the 11th anniversary of when Great Britian declared war on Germany (4th August 1914). Coates reflected upon the importance of the war effort and New Zealand’s role in defending the British Empire. He discussed the significance of War Memorials in particular, which were being erected all over the British Empire as sites of reflection. His speech highlighted that the losses of these brave servicepeople were still felt very keenly.

Looking ahead

As we look back at the laying of the Foundation Stone 100 years later, the Museum sets its focus on refreshing galleries in the 1929 building in preparation for the next 100 years. We're excited to shine a light on one of our most special taonga - the Museum itself - and the role it plays protecting all the cultural heritage treasures in our safekeeping. The Foundation Stone itself, while representing a significant milestone on August 1st, 1925, is now just one of many stones forming the exterior walls of the building. Next time you visit the Museum make sure you take a look!

Blog

Foundation Stone: 100 years

Our Foundation Stone has hit a big milestone: 100 years!

Blog by Pia Gahagan, Collection Manager, Museum Archives

Setting the date

Looking ahead