South African War Memorial
Boer War memorial in Napier silhouetted against the sky
Statues of soldiers atop a pedestal were a common central feature of South African War memorials. Napier’s was the only one featuring a trooper in a posture of mourning with his rifle pointed down. The tall statue stands on a plinth above a smaller but no less impressive carved stone lion with shield. It is sited beside Marine Parade across the road from the city’s waterfront park and memorial arch. It was unveiled by Governor Lord Plunket at a large community ceremony on 11 February 1906. After sustaining damage in the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake – the monument was shattered and the trooper lost his head which was found some time later and reattached
