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This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1980. This report includes the text from the original Building Classification Committee report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. This monument is one of the very few commemorating Tasman's sighting of New Zealand. The obelisk was unveiled on May 21 1940 by the then Minister of Public Works, Robert Semple. Originally it had been intended to erect the monument at the trig station near Okarito but this plan was abandoned as it would have been too difficult to transport the materials to the summit of such a steep hill, 137.25 metres above sea level. The County Council therefore decided to build the obelisk in front of the Okarito School. The monument was erected at a cost of £150, which was raised by public subscription. Unveiled during New Zealand's Centennial Year (1940), the obelisk commemorates the efforts of the Westland pioneers and three events which made their achievements possible. Abel Tasman's sighting of New Zealand in 1642 is thought to have occurred when he was sailing off the coast from where Okarito now stands. As recognition of his achievement was a feature of Westland's centenary celebrations, it was appropriate that the event be recorded on one of the obelisk's commemorative panels. In 1770 James Cook's voyage of discovery served as the catalyst for widespread European settlement of this country. In 1860 James Mackay successfully negotiated the purchase of Westland from local Maori at a runanga held at Okarito.

Memorial Obelisk with Okarito School (Former) on the right. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans – flyingkiwigirl | 29/07/2016 | Shellie Evans

Memorial Obelisk. CC Licence 2.0 Image courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org | Tony Doy | 21/04/2014 | Tony Doy - Wikimedia Commons

Memorial Obelisk, Okarito. Plaque inscriptions. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans – flyingkiwigirl | 29/07/2016 | Shellie Evans

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 2

Access

Able to Visit

List Number

5007

Date Entered

6th June 1990

Date of Effect

6th June 1990

City/District Council

Westland District

Region

West Coast Region

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes part of the land described as Res 1007 (NZ Gazette 1984 p. 3174), Westland Land District and the structure known as Memorial Obelisk thereon. (Refer to the extent map tabled at the Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero Committee meeting on 8 October 2015.)

Legal description

Res 1007 (NZ Gazette 1984 p. 3174), Westland Land District

Overview

Status
Listed

List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 2

Access
Able to Visit

List Number
5007

Date Entered
6th June 1990

Date of Effect
6th June 1990

City/District Council
Westland District

Region
West Coast Region

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes part of the land described as Res 1007 (NZ Gazette 1984 p. 3174), Westland Land District and the structure known as Memorial Obelisk thereon. (Refer to the extent map tabled at the Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero Committee meeting on 8 October 2015.)

Legal description

Res 1007 (NZ Gazette 1984 p. 3174), Westland Land District

Detailed List Entry

Significance

Historic Significance

Historical Significance or Value This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1980. This report includes the text from the original Building Classification Committee report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. The obelisk commemorates three major events in New Zealand's history. as well as the achievements of countless pioneers who settled in Westland after the discovery of gold in 1865. Standing in a village which was once South Westland's principal port. The obelisk also brings to mind Okarito's heyday when hundreds of prospectors arrived there in the hope of striking it rich on the nearby black sand beach or the gold fields of Westland.

Physical Significance

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1980. This report includes the text from the original Building Classification Committee report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. ARCHITECTURAL QUALITY: Both the shape and function of the obelisk were first determined in ancient Egypt where the monolithic tapered pillars were often covered with hieroglyphics, usually of a religious or commemorative nature. The obelisk at Okarito is a very austere example of a type of monument which was once very popular in New Zealand and which can be found in towns and cities throughout the country. Its architectural simplicity does not belie its importance to South Westland. TOWNSCAPE/LANDMARK VALUE: A prominent landmark within the 'streetscape' of Okarito. Viewed from the seaward side against the backdrop of bush and Alps, the effect is dramatic.

Construction Professional

Biography

W F Ashley, the Westland County Engineer

Name

Ashley, W F

Type

Designer

Construction Details

Start Year

1940

Type

Original Construction

Construction Materials

Reinforced concrete finished with white cement. Chains hung between concrete posts.

Physical Description

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1980. This report includes the text from the original Building Classification Committee report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: The obelisk stands on a three tier base and has a commemorative panel set within each of its four faces. The lowest level of the pedestal is 3.66 metres square and features a 3 x 3 arrangement of concrete posts linked by chains. Above this base the obelisk rises over 9.15 metres, its sides tapering as it does so to give a section 1.6 metres square at the base and 0.51 metres square at the top. To anchor this structure the foundation extends 1.83 metres below ground level. The commemorative panels read as follows:- North panel - 1940/James Mackay/Arranged Purchase/of West Coast/From Resident Natives/21 May 1860 South panel - To the memory of/The Pioneer Host/From 1864 Onwards/Whose Courage/And Perseverance/Founded and Settled/Westland/Reflect on what they did West panel-Abel Tasman/Dutch Navigator/Voyage Nest Coast/13 December 1642 East panel - Captain James Cook/British Explorer/Sailed this Coast/23 March 1770

Reference

Completion Date

3rd March 1990

Information Sources

Evans, 1942

D J Evans. 1642-1942. The Tercentenary of the Discovery of New Zealand - with notes on South Westland. Westland County Council, Hokitika, 1942

Report Written By

A copy of this report is available from the NZHPT Southern Region office Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions.

Further Information

Former Usages

General Usage:: Commemoration

Specific Usage: Monuments, memorial, site of particular event - other

Themes

Modern Movement

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