A crowd gathered at the vacant lot next to Aratoi last Friday to see the Featherston Stones installation. The prevailing theme was the impressive variety of approaches students had taken to create their ANZAC-themed designs.
Makoura College Services Academy imaginatively painted individual stones, and Chanel College’s textured tribute to the New Zealand Mounted Rifles was popular.
'My favourite part was breaking up the coal to make the background,' said Sophia Hallett, who'd worked on Hadlow's poppy design. Between munching on ANZAC biscuits baked by the Aratoi Friends, the Hadlow students explained how the whole school had been involved with different parts of the project.
Dawn Beange, who came with her Veteran husband Kevin, was pleased to see the students appreciating each other's work: 'Because Masterton is a small town, you get the sense that the schools are not competing but instead can come together for a project like this.'
David Beange, who had served in Vietnam, said white painted stones were a feature of many military camps he’d been in and may date back to before the Featherston Camp. 'I thought the students did a marvelous job,' he said.
Many students had done related activities such visiting Aratoi and walking up to the hillside site of New Zealand’s first ANZAC memorial service at Tinui.
It is hoped that the designs will stay on site until the current exhibition 'Featherston Camp 1916-2016: The Record of a Remarkable Achievement' closes on 31 July.
Concert series finale this weekend
The popular Farewell Zealandia series concludes with a final performance this Sunday at ANZAC Hall, Featherston. 'We have a trio playing the five remaining New Zealand WW1 songs from the accompanying exhibition, plus five more beautiful songs that deserve to be heard,' says event MC and organizer David Dell.
The concerts continue to throw up new musical history. Soloist Roger Wilson told the the audience that he was the nephew of Mona Moore, the recently rediscovered Carterton composer who wrote 'Happiness Waltz'. Dell will give a guided tour of the exhibition for those interested.
'Farewell Zealandia: Forgotten Kiwi Songs of World War One.' Featherston ANZAC Hall, 62 Bell St, Featherston. CONCERT SERIES: Sunday 24 April, 2pm. EXHIBITION: 4 March - 25 April, 10am-3pm daily, entry free. Concert tickets $20 (waged) and $15 (unwaged). Available from Masterton & Martinborough i-Sites and the Featherston Information Centres or by emailing David Dell E: [email protected]. Door sales available.
Caption: Clockwise from top left: Makoura's design; the Makoura College Services Academy in action; Chanel College's tribute to the NZMR; visitors admire the work; another design by Makoura College; and Hadlow students Sophia Hallett, Walter Gooding, Finn Roberts & Xavier White.