NEW ZEALAND MEMORIAL - HYDE PARK

The New Zealand Memorial in London's Hyde Park Corner commemorates the enduring bonds between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and shared sacrifice during times of war. It is a symbol both of the common heritage and of New Zealand's distinct identity.Each of the sixteen standards of the memorial is a unique piece of sculpture with the first ten bearing patterns, words and images evoking the memorial’s overall themes – New Zealand’s national identity, the historical and ongoing relationship between New Zealand and the United Kingdom and shared wartime experiences. Paraone stands next to the only one of the Southern Cross standards to carry substantial text and displays a list of New Zealand cities arranged in order of geographical location from north to south. Standard nine is dedicated to New Zealanders’ love of the sea and the coast. On one side the word ‘antipodes’ is spelt out with pipi and toheroa shells.
Liam checks out the standard that focuses on rugby - New Zealand’s national game, introduced from Britain in the early 1870s. New Zealand’s first home test was played in 1904 with a win over the English Lions. Rugby is only one of the sports New Zealand adopted from Britain and sport continues to play an integral part in kiwi life. The rugby ball is hard to miss, but the standard also shows the silver fern emblem worn by the All Blacks.