Join us on Remembrance Day as we pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of this country.
Join us on Remembrance Day as we pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of this country.
Announced at 11 am on 11 November 1918, the Armistice brought to an end all hostilities on the Western Front. The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month is now observed throughout the world as a time of remembrance for those who died during WWI. A commemorative service to mark Armistice Day is held each year at our Roimata Pounamu Tears on Greenstone Memorial. It is open to all to attend, so join us this year at 11.00am while we take a moment to pause and remember.
After four fierce years of fighting, that involved over 30 nations, an Armistice was signed at 5.45am on November 11, 1918, at Campiegne in the region of Picardy, France. The agreement took effect at 11am, officially ending the First World War on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. However, it would take another four years (as long as the war itself) to work out the terms of peace in full.
The hope was that the First World War would be the “war to end all wars” and Armistice Day would serve to remind all to never repeat the past mistakes that cost the lives of millions of men, women, and children.
The peace, however, was too fragile to endure and ultimately the world went through a second world war.
More than a hundred years later, Armistice Day continues to be recognised, both internationally and here in Aotearoa New Zealand, as the day hostilities ceased on the Western Front, and although the focus has broadened over time, we here want to remember and be reminded of the hope that Armistice Day was meant to bring, and connect us to the First World War, its cost, and its legacy.
Peace is not easy, nor is it natural. It is a constant precarious balance of competing interests, opposing perspectives, and differing values, and at times it is hard fought for. Peace is a shared responsibility, and today we reaffirm the importance of it, while acknowledging that at home and abroad we do not always get it right. We can still honour Armistice Day by holding on to the reminder of the cost of war, and never forgetting the sacrifice of so many brave souls who gave everything for our future.
In the words of Elmer Davis, “This nation will remain the land of the free, only so long as it is the home of the brave”, and sometimes the bravest thing we can do is reflect, remember, and never forget the darkest parts of our collective history, in order to honour the hope for a better future.
From museum visits to research support, our team is ready to assist you on your journey through New Zealand’s military history.
