Waipa historian Val Millington has a unique way of making the world wars seem real to students at Ōhaupō Primary School.
Ōhaupō School manukura Sophie Germann (from left), Ben Harvey, Isla Devon and Rhiannon Alchin spoke of people affected by war from within the community. Photo: Jesse Wood
Ōhaupō Memorial Hall chairman Mark Turnwald starts off the 2025 Anzac service. Photo: Jesse Wood
The school lost 25 students in the two world wars so she gets 25 boys to stand up in a line and call out the names of each soldier who died.
“It individualises the loss. Real people were killed and we represent that by real people only a few years younger, calling out a name representing that boy.”
Taranaki-King Country MP Barbara Kuriger (National Party) will be the guest speaker.
Te Awamutu College head student Teina Beets at the podium. Photo: Jesse Wood
Te Awamutu College head students Ruth Downs (from left), Teina Beets, Libby Haynes and Rico Dorssers were at the Anzac service to lay a wreath. Photo: Jesse Wood
Meanwhile the wider Te Awamutu area had several Anzac Day services last week, aligning with the 110th anniversary of the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli.
Events took place in Kāwhia, Kihikihi, Ōhaupō, Pirongia and Te Awamutu on Friday, followed by Pukeatua on Sunday.
Te Awamutu Sports junior rugby players showcased their Anzac playing kit. Photo: Jesse Wood
People from all walks of life came together to remember the New Zealanders who had fallen across all wars and to honour all veterans.
At the 10.30am service in Ōhaupō, the memorial hall was packed with members of the community.
The Ōhaupō School manukura (leaders) were among those to speak before the wreath laying at the memorial park.
Waipa mayor Susan O’Regan at the Anzac service to lay a wreath. Photo: Jesse Wood
Waipā District mayor Susan O’Regan addresses the masses in Te Awamutu. Photo: Jesse Wood
Ben Harvey spoke about the Jones bothers of Ōhaupō who both went to war, Isla Devon spoke of Innes Taylor, who served as a nurse, Sophie Germann spoke of Ōhaupō’s Walter Reid who returned home injured and Rhiannon Alchin read a poem written by Val Millington called Ōhaupō Buried its Young Again Today.
The students were taught about these people by Millington and will run through every element of the service and give entirely different speeches about other members of the community at school tomorrow.
Val Millington
At the 11am Te Awamutu civic service, Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan and Te Awamutu College head student Teina Beets both gave moving speeches.
O’Regan recently visited the Auckland War Memorial Museum with her family and gazed across the names of those New Zealanders lost at war.
“The impact of war was never conveyed more clearly to me than early this week. [The museum] is a beautiful working monument paying homage to those New Zealanders who made the ultimate sacrifice in war,” O’Regan said.
“It was indeed a sobering walk with my husband, 15-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son through the World War I and World War II halls of memories.
The Te Awamutu Brass Band are a big part of Anzac Day proceedings. Photo: Jesse Wood
“The walls bare the names of New Zealanders killed in armed conflict around the world. Thousands and thousands of names skilfully carved in marble. Wall after wall, after wall, after wall.
“The true human cost never felt more real. They weren’t just names. They were sons and daughters, husbands, uncles, fiancés, friends. Indeed, we found my great uncle’s name and I thought of the deep loss my great grandparents must have felt upon being told of his going down over Tunisia.
“They were all just like us, ordinary people, doing quite extra ordinary things.”
Wreaths laid at the cenotaph on Te Awamutu’s Anzac green. Photo: Jesse Wood
O’Regan said as they came to the end of the World War II wall, there was a large blank panel.
“This section very hopefully proclaimed six simple words, which I wish to leave you with. Let these panels never be filled.”
Among the other speakers were Kuriger and Te Awamutu RSA representative Daniel van der Hulst.
Waipā councillor and RSA member Lou Brown was the MC.
The New Zealand national anthem was led by the Te Awamutu College Kapa Haka group, who later performed a rousing haka for the attending veterans.
The Australian anthem was led by the Musical All Sorts. Both anthem performance groups were accompanied by the Te Awamutu Brass Band.
Meanwhile on the other side of the world, Waipā councillors Philip Coles and Liz Stolwyk represented the district at their own cost at the Le Quesnoy Anzac Day commemorations. Le Quesnoy is Cambridge’s sister city.
Waipā deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk, second left, and councillor Philip Coles outside the Le Quesnoy Museum in France for the Anzac Day commemorations with the town’s deputy mayor Axelle Declerck and mayor Marie-Sophie Lesne. Photo: Supplied
Te Awamutu Brass Band drum major Alan Patterson at the front of parade as they solute the notorieties. Photo: Jesse Wood
