Anzac Remembrance at Parliament

The first Anzac Day was observed as a half-day holiday on 25 April 1916 to mark the first anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. The mood was solemn: race meetings were postponed and cinemas stayed shut until late afternoon. Large crowds gathered for local ceremonies - there were 2000 people at a religious service in Ashburton, and 8000 at the dedication of a memorial flagpole at Petone railway station. In the Wairarapa, a large cross was erected on top of a hill overlooking the village of Tīnui.

Since 1916, public Anzac Day services have only grown, with modern services following the form developed many years ago. There are still dawn services, both locally and overseas; veterans and service personnel continue to gather at memorials and in RSA clubrooms; members of Parliament and dignitaries still attend ceremonies; and shops remain closed until 1pm.

The Anzac Day Act was passed in 1920. The Act formalised 25 April as a public holiday to commemorate Anzac Day. This was a reaction to Anzac Day being observed on 23 April 1917 (due to local body elections). 

Parliament remembers

In 1920, the Wellington RSA erected a temporary wood and plaster cenotaph for an Anzac Day ceremonial service. It was located on the grass triangle at the junction of Molesworth Street and Lambton Quay, which was then part of Parliament grounds. A large crowd gathered for the service, which involved many school children and the placing of floral wreaths on the cenotaph.

During the 1920s as the ceremony grew, thought was given to having a more permanent memorial and in 1928, the corner of Molesworth and Bowen Streets was chosen as the location, with the intention to strengthen the link between Parliament and Wellington city.

The foundation stone was laid by the Governor-General on Anzac Day 1929. By 1931, the marble monument was practically complete, and for the first time the ceremony was held on the steps of the ‘Citizens Memorial’ cenotaph.

The cenotaph was officially dedicated on 18 April 1932, in time for Anzac Day. From 1939 to 2014 a dawn service was held at the cenotaph. This service moved to the new Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in 2015. 

Parliament House has always been a place of commemoration for those who have served.

The debating chamber was dedicated to New Zealand’s wartime contribution when first used in late 1918. Its walls are decorated with carved wooden wreaths and plaques marking New Zealanders’ military and peacekeeping service overseas. The plaques commemorate those who served in World Wars I and II, the South African (Boer War), and later war service. In 2019, another plaque was installed to remember the New Zealand wars of the mid nineteenth century. The Messines Blueprint is also showcased in the Debating Chamber corridor. 

In the first floor foyer of Parliament House hangs a painting of Chunuk Bair. It depicts the deadly struggle in August, 1915, between New Zealand and Turkish soldiers over the crucial vantage point on the Gallipoli peninsula. Near the painting is a bronze plaque commemorating Lieutenant Colonel William Malone, who fell during the attack on Chunuk Bair.

This foyer also houses a roll of honour plaque listing the five New Zealand members of Parliament who died in active service during World War II (they were among the many New Zealand MPs who served in World Wars I and II). Additionally, the pen and seal used by Prime Minister Massey to sign the Treaty of Versailles is located on the ground floor of Parliament House.

Members of Parliament who served

Read more about each of the five members who served below.