Memory arch gate to be repaired and repainted

Opening the arch . . . Members of the Rotary Club of Waitaki (from left) Paul Mortimer, Mel Kington, Robbie Julius, Bob Sutherland and Ross Mitchell remove the gates from the Garden of Memories in Oamaru on Wednesday night to have them repaired, sand-blasted and repainted. Photo by David Bruce

The Rotary Club of Waitaki has removed the gates from the memorial arch on Severn St as part of a community project to record the names of service personnel who died in World War 2.

The memorial, next to the North Otago RSA, does not record the names of North Otago service people who lost their lives in the war it commemorates, and the club decided to set that right with a $6500 project.

Club president Graeme Clark said granite plaques with the names of service people who lost their lives in the war were being engraved and would be erected on the memorial arch in time for Anzac Day.

Club member Lindsay Malcolm had put together a list of about 120 names from country memorials and records compiled when the Garden of Memories was opened in 1950.

A public appeal to ensure the list was accurate and complete has seen 20 additional names added, Mr Malcolm said.

In addition some corrections had been made to ranks and initials.

‘‘I think we are as good as 99% there,'' Mr Malcolm said.

Mr Clark said the granite plaques were expected shortly.