Luke East’s campaign to get a plaque installed on the corner of Sloane and Alexandra Streets to commemorate the 1954 visit of The Queen and Prince Philip to Te Awamutu has now raised almost two-thirds of the funds needed to manufacture the plaque.
With the Te Awamutu Community Board contributing $1000 and Luke’s Givealittle page almost matching the Board’s contribution thanks to donations from the local community and monarchists from across the country, the plaque is coming close to fruition.
Luke says he’s delighted “to have had support from both Monarchy NZ and UK-based Majesty Magazine” who have given the plaque campaign significant exposure.
Their combined Twitter following of more than 35,000 people has prompted more donations.
The Queen and Prince Philip visited 46 towns during their 1953-54 tour of New Zealand, including Tirau, Huntly and Cambridge.
“The experience we’ve had with this project and the huge support we’ve received just goes to show that by-and-large Kiwis like the monarchy and with the Platinum Jubilee just around the corner I hope that we see a number of the other towns, visited by The Queen, erecting plaques to celebrate the occasion”.
With just over one-third of the funds left to raise Luke says there is plenty of time for people to play a part in preserving a piece of history for future generations
“I hope that this project creates a broader momentum for the preservation of all aspects of our history, from buildings, to street names, to statues – because combined they weave a rich tapestry which defines who we are”.
Donations can be made at the Te Awamutu RSA or for more details go to www.teawamutunews.nz/2021/09/for-queen-and-te-awamutu/
