Anzac Day in rural New Zealand

So many sons who would never return, so many young men from rural backgrounds, so many Kiwi boys who left their homes seeking adventure only to find misery in the carnage of war. On Anzac day we remember the courage and sacrifice of New Zealand soldiers who have served their country in times of war. 

Anzac day marks one of the bloodiest days in New Zealand history, the anniversary of Australian and New Zealand Army Corp (ANZACs) landing at Gallipoli. From from the Dardanelles to the Western front the Kiwi death toll in World War One was staggering. Of the more than 100 thousand New Zealanders who served an estimated 18 thousand were killed and another 41 thousand injured.

The memorial outside Winchester school in South Canterbury is no different from hundreds of others found in prominent positions in small towns and rural communities scattered through out Aotearoa New Zealand. Etched in stone, the names of the fallen, calling us back to a deep communal scar that has shaped this country's story. With gratitude we remember those who died so that we might live in peace.