National Army Museum (New Zealand) facts for kids
The National Army Museum (called Te Mata Toa in Māori) is the official museum for the New Zealand Army. It used to be known as the Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum. You can find it on State Highway One, in the military town of Waiouru.
The museum looks like a strong fortress, with a bridge and a moat around it. It's a big building, about 1300 square metres in size. Soldiers from the 2nd Field Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Engineers (RNZE) built it. It took them 276 days to finish, and it opened in October 1978.
The museum helps us remember the brave New Zealand soldiers. It honors those who have died, those who have served, and those still serving today. It also teaches us about the battles New Zealand soldiers have fought. The museum helps people connect with New Zealand's military past. Visitors can learn real-life stories and see how these events shaped the country.
At the museum, you can find many interesting things. There's a gift shop and a cafe called Home Fires. You can also visit the Kippenberger Research Library. A special place is the Tears on Greenstone Memorial. The museum displays many collections. These include weapons, war items, and military vehicles. You can see exhibitions about important battles. There's also a huge collection of medals. Lifelike displays show twelve of the biggest campaigns New Zealand troops have been part of. For younger visitors, "Kidz headquarters" offers fun learning activities.
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Tears on Greenstone Memorial
The Tears on Greenstone, or Roimata Pounamu, is a large wall made of greenstone. This memorial remembers over 30,000 service members. These brave men and women gave their lives for their country. Water flows down this huge greenstone structure. It looks like endless tears of sadness. An audio system plays the names of those who died. Near the memorial, a touch screen lets visitors search for names. You can hear the names read aloud.
Kippenberger Research Library
The Kippenberger Research Library holds many collections. These collections are all about New Zealand's military history. The library is open to everyone and it's free to visit. It is named after Major General Sir Howard Karl Kippenberger. He was a military leader and historian. Sir Howard fought in both World Wars. He studied past battles a lot. This helped him lead New Zealand troops in many big fights.
The New Zealand Army bought a large military library from Major General Kippenberger in 1958. This collection is now part of the Kippenberger Research Library. Sir Howard's daughter, Mary Weston, opened the library on March 24, 1995.
Medals on Display
The museum has a very large collection of medals. These medals are linked to the army. Some were given by families. Others were loaned or bought from families of soldiers. The museum has five main displays of medals. These include:
- British Campaign and General Service Medals
- Campaign and General Service Medals given to New Zealanders
- United Nations and Commemorative Medals
- Foreign Medals
- Medals for Meritorious Service, Long Service, and Efficient Service
The museum also has temporary displays. These change regularly. They show different medals donated by families.
Medal Recovery Story
The museum used to display several Victoria Crosses. These were in a special area called the Valour Alcove. On December 2, 2007, 96 medals were taken from the museum. They were stolen from strong glass cabinets.
On February 16, 2008, the New Zealand Police announced good news. All the stolen medals had been found. This happened after a reward was offered. A British medal collector, Lord Michael Ashcroft, and a New Zealand businessman, Tom Sturgess, offered NZ$300,000.
The stolen medals included nine Victoria Crosses:
- Brig Leslie Andrew, 1917
- Sgt Keith Elliott, 1942
- Capt Samuel Frickleton, 1917 (also his Distinguished Conduct Medal and Military Medal)
- Sgt John Gildroy Grant, 1918
- Sgt John Daniel Hinton, 1941
- Sgt Alfred Hulme, 1941
- Maj Reginald Stanley Judson, 1918
- Lt Col Harry John Laurent, 1918
- Capt Charles Upham, 1941–42 (both his VC and Bar)
Also taken were two George Crosses:
- David Russell
- Ken Hudson
And one Albert Medal:
- Randolph Ridling
The museum had 13 Victoria Crosses in total. Two of them, belonging to Charles Upham and Percy Valentine Storkey, were on loan. Four VCs were not taken:
- Thomas Cooke, 1916
- Bernard Diamond, 1857
- William James Hardham, 1901
- Percy Valentine Storkey, 1918
See also
- Medal theft
