120-year-old war memorial moves across town

Ashburton's Boer War Memorial being reassembled at its new home in Baring Square West, adjacent to the other war memorials. PHOTO: ASHBURTON GUARDIAN

Ashburton's 120-year-old Boer War Memorial has a new home.

The memorial was placed in Baring Square East in 1903 to honour those who served in the South African conflict and bears the names of six fallen soldiers.

As part of the $2.45 million redevelopment of Baring Square East, it has been removed, renovated, and repositioned in Baring Square West alongside the other war memorials.

The memorial relocation was funded by a $150,000 grant received by the Ashburton District Council as part of the Three Waters Better Off funding package.

It wasn’t the first time the memorial had been moved.

The cenotaph was previously shifted a few meters in Baring Square East in 1978 as part of a redesign of the square to mark the centenary of the Borough Council.

This time it was removed completely offsite to a specialist stonemason who spent weeks cleaning and restoring it before it was reassembled at Baring Square West on a new plinth with a bluestone base stone.

The Boer War Memorial where it stood in Baring Square East before being relocated as part of the redevelopment of the square. PHOTO ASHBURTON GUARDIAN

The layers were joined together with carbon pins to ensure the memorial can withstand earthquakes in the future.

The full installation will be completed early next week.

-By Local Democracy Reporter Jonathan Leask