The War Memorial after opening in 1957. The Roll of Honour can be seen on the left of the outside building. Photo / Guy Natusch
OPINION
Architect Guy Kingdon Natusch answered his phone during dinner time in April 2017. On the other end was Hawke’s Bay Today reporter Victoria White, who wanted to discuss the changes to the Napier War Memorial Centre opened in 1957 in remembrance of those who died in World War I and II.
Guy told me in 2018 he knew the War Memorial Centre on Marine Parade was to once again undergo renovations (significant changes were made in the mid-1990s). He was about to tell Victoria he was eating dinner and put the phone down, but thought he had better not.
What she said surprised him. Its name, Eternal Flame and Roll of Honour, would be gone, and the building would lose its status as a War Memorial and be renamed the Napier Conference Centre.
Philosophically, Guy told Victoria something to the effect of: “No one can now alter the course of events as what is done is done, unless the people rise up, and if the people rise up – it will be people power.” They did rise up – many of them.
Guy named a few.
“Dorothy Pilkington, Andrew Frame, Chris Geddis and Alan Rhodes – and a whole lot more of them – and very good letters – and that was the consequence of people rising up. If you have something to say, age doesn’t matter, experience does,” he said.
Guy wanted me to mention if I ever recounted his interview that credit is due to Victoria White for publicising the issue of the loss of the War Memorial.
What was remarkable was Victoria was speaking to the original architect – Guy Natusch ‒almost exactly 60 years after the original Napier War Memorial was opened on July 14, 1957. Blueprints of the building Guy showed me were dated 1952 – so, 65 years to the genesis.
While Napier’s mayor at the time of the opening was Peter Tait (later Sir), the project had started in earnest by a previous mayor, Ernest “Ron” Spriggs, who began a substantial public fundraising drive, which was added to by Napier City Council, New Zealand Centennial Fund (1840-1940) and the Government.
The Napier War Memorial had major alterations and reopened in 1995, with the Eternal Flame and Roll of Honour being placed inside the building from their original outside location.
Reflectively, Guy told me there was always a commercial element present at the Napier War Memorial. An ice cream parlour, and a cafe (later restaurant) had occupied it, but it was the removal of the memorial elements in 2017 and the rebranding as a fully commercial Napier Conference Centre that was a step too far for many people.
The strong public protest, in line with Guy’s earlier proposition that nothing would be done unless “the people rise up”, meant in 2018, the words “War Memorial” were reinstated to the building ‒ but the Napier Conference Centre branding remained.
Napier councillor Kirsten Wise in 2018 apologised for her part in the June 8, 2016, Napier City Council vote to remove “War Memorial” and the removal of the Eternal Flame and Roll of Honour, and explained the reasons for her vote.
When Kirsten became mayor in 2019, the Napier Conference Centre sign came down, and while it wasn’t fast enough for many, a move was made towards restoration of the Eternal Flame and Roll of Honour. A painstaking research project had also begun to make any corrections to the names on the Roll of Honour
Guy, in his words “was a little in the background” in terms of the restoration, but was in contact with Kirsten, ultimately having input into the final design. And as can be seen from the photo of the Eternal Flame and Rolls of Honour, from 1957, the restored elements are reflective of Guy’s original design.
During World War II, when Guy served in the Navy, after a battle of horrendous losses in August 1942, he turned to the six Kiwis with him, including Joe Hart, some five years older than him. “At least” said 21-year-old Guy, “this will be the war to end all wars”, echoing the words of his Uncle Stanley Natusch from World War I. “You’ve got a lot to learn,” Joe replied pityingly to Guy. “You’ll have to read more history; mankind will never learn.”
And to prove the point, Guy believed we don’t learn this with buildings.
“The council in connection with this [Napier War Memorial] was only making the same mistake previous councils had made – only a bigger blunder.”
Architects have a responsibility, he believed, to not unsympathetically alter heritage buildings, and where possible the original architect should be employed to do the work.
Guy never lived to see the reinstatement, passing away in 2020, aged 99.
I’d like to think, and if you would please indulge me in some romanticism, that Guy Kingdon Natusch was looking down on the Napier War Memorial proceedings on Sunday August 6 in the rededication of what he might term his most important work and allowing himself a broad smile.
Lest we forget.
Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a Hawke’s Bay historian. Michael Fowler will be taking a special walking tour around the Hastings CBD at 10am on Saturday, 2 September for the 150th anniversary of the founding of Hastings. Book at www.eventfinda.co.nz. There will also be a free talk on 10 September on the history of Westerman & Co, Hastings.