Text taken from sign to the right –

Like the rest of New Zealand, the Queenstown community was unprepared for the heavy human losses suffered in World War One.

Fundraising for a memorial to remember the district’s servicemen began in March, 1920.

Two suggestions were made as to what form the memorial should take. The first was a playground where children could ‘develop healthily’ and remember the sacrifices made to enable them to play happily. The other suggestion was an archway to be placed at the entrance to the Queenstown Gardens.

The memorial was opened on ANZAC day, 1922.

The waterfront was thought to be a prominent location. It would remind both locals and tourists of the sacrifices made by the Queenstown community, and it was nicely framed by the avenue of birch trees.

The memorial is unusual. On one side are the names of those who died while in service. The other side carries the names of all who served. This was included even though many returned service people objected as ‘we have all received our welcome homes, these boys have not’.