WELLINGTON WAR MEMORIAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 30 July 1929, Page 4

WELLINGTON WAR MEMORIAL

WILL NOT BE COMPLETED UNTIL END OF 1930 Although a start was made with' the erection of the Wellington War Memorial in April last, it will be learned with some surprise that' it is not likely to be completed until the end of next year, as the lease of the corner premises—the property of Mr J. E. Henrys—does not * expire until the middle of and it will not be possible to demolish these premises until after that date (states "The Dominion"). When that takes place the main approach to the memorial can then be proceeded with, as the site now covered by the corner shop is that reserved for th e approach steps and what is called on.the plan the lower "terrace." The lower terrace leads to the upper terrace, and from there one will bo able to enter the vestibule, an interior apartment in the main column, and from there proceed on the same level to the inner shrine or chapel, which is to be panelled with grey New Zealand marble. The present- state of the work is that the foundation is down. As no solid bottom could be found the. contractors —the Hansford and Mills Construction Company—had to drive into the yielding earth no fewer than forty 16-inch concrete piles within a space of about thirty square feet. This forms the foundation. A solid concrete floor, through which the steel rods penetrate to the piles five feet below the ground level, lias been laid down, and from this arises a basis of grey Coromandel stone to a height of some' lour feet from the ground. TJi O reinforcing rods for the concrete superstructure sliiid some fifteen feet in the air, and a start will shortly bp made with the boxing for this part of the work. The wlTole of the central structure will be faced with white Italian marble, none of which is yet to hand. The cutting and polishing of this m/ii'blp will be a. long job.