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 Michael Joseph Savage Memorial - Bastion Point, Auckland, New Zealand Posted by:  denben
S 36° 50.743 E 174° 49.563
60H E 306167 N 5920036
MJ Savage lies buried at Bastion Point on Auckland's Waitemata Harbour waterfront in the Savage Memorial, a clifftop mausoleum crowned by a tall minaret, and fronted by an extensive memorial garden and reflecting pool.
Waymark Code: WMMZ8V
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 11/27/2014
Views: 4
Michael Joseph Savage (23 March 1872 – 27 March 1940) was the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is commonly known as the architect of the welfare state and is constantly regarded as one of New Zealand's greatest and most revered Prime Ministers. He was given the title New Zealander of the Century by The New Zealand Herald in 1999. He is considered by academics and historians to be New Zealand's most loved Prime Minister. He was often called 'Everybody's Uncle' because of his kind and friendly nature. Source: ( visit link)
History:
The mausoleum is built on the site of a former gun emplacement dating from the 'Russian Scare' of the 1880s.
The design stems from a competition announced by the Labour government in February 1941. Tibor Donner and Anthony Bartlett, Auckland architects, won the prize for the memorial's design: a mausoleum and obelisk made of pre-cast concrete, flanked by Oamaru stone and Dunedin quartz. Originally their plans included a statue on the top of the obelisk symbolising the 'working man'. Officials found the statue too ostentatious, however, and the finished memorial has a bronze Madonna by the prominent sculptor Richard Gross. Donner and Bartlett also designed the surrounding memorial reserve, which features a sunken garden and a reflective pool marked off by hedges and flower-beds.
Despite some public concern that the memorial was an extravagance in wartime, work was begun by Fletcher Construction in June 1941 and completed by March the following year. The New Zealand Labour Party met the costs of the mausoleum, estimated at £4000. Peter Fraser's government paid for the surrounding memorial park. The memorial was officially opened in March 1943. Initial public interest in the site amazed officials, and it continues to attract both overseas and local visitors today.
Source: http://www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identity-heritage/national-monuments-war-graves/savage-memorial
Visiting Hours/Restrictions:
Pedestrian access: 24 hours.
Address:
19 Hapimana Street
Orakei , Auckland 1071, New Zealand
Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Post a minimum of at least one picture, Gps not required. Explain experience of visit.
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