Mercer's Unusual Memorial - Roadside Stories

A Manatū Taonga audio guide to Mercer's unusual memorial. Check out the Ministry for Culture and Heritage's audio guide in the image carousel above.

A memorial at Mercer remembers two wars -- one far away and one close to home. The memorial to First World War soldiers is built on top of the gun turret of the Pioneer, a naval vessel used by British forces in their 1860s war against Waikato Māori. The Pioneer transported troops and shelled pā (Māori fortified settlements) on the Waikato River.

War in Waikato,
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/war-in-waikato

Mercer war memorial,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/waikato-places/2/5

Waikato River,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/waikato-places/1

Waikato tribes,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/waikato-tribes

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Roadside Stories are a series of audio guides to places of interest on major road trips in New Zealand. Each guide tells the story of an attraction along the way -- its people, its history, its cultural and natural significance. For more information about Roadside Stories visit http://www.mch.govt.nz/roadside/