Story: Oneone – soils

Placing soil at a war memorial

Placing soil at a war memorial

Whanganui mayor Hope Gibbons places soil from Belgium at a memorial to Māori soldiers killed in the First World War, on 25 April 1925. The soil was put in a corner post labelled ‘Belgium’; the other three posts contained soil from other countries where battles took place. As it came from the places where the soldiers died, this soil would have been, in a sense, sacred.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Tesla Studios Collection (PAColl-3046)
Reference: 1/1-017366; G
Photograph by Frank J. Denton

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Basil Keane, 'Oneone – soils - Soil in Māori tradition', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/19124/placing-soil-at-a-war-memorial (accessed 17 May 2024)

Story by Basil Keane, published 24 Nov 2008