ANZAC 2018
In conjunction with our Communities we are observing the 100 year commemoration of ANZAC 2018.
We have two exciting placemaking projects happening across the Waikato district.
Te Awa Cycle Way salute to our past
Waikato District Council and the Ngaruawahia Community House are calling for people to knit or crochet poppies. Our aim for this project is to create a 1200 poppy trail down the Te Awa Cycle Way and along the connecting Perry Bridge.
Our deadline is Monday, 9 April 2018. The display will be ready for viewing by Sunday, 15 April 2018.
Please contact Lianne van den Bemd lianne.vandenbemd@waidc.govt.nz or Anne Ramsay anner@ngacomhouse.org.nz if you can help.
ANZAC Poppy Tree project 2018
- Communities across out district have been asked to identify a tree trunk which can be covered in knitted poppies – ideally the tree would be in a central place.
- Organisations such as Community Houses coordinate groups / people who are willing to knit, crochet or otherwise poppies
- These organisations provide the drop off point for completed poppies
- A day /time is selected prior to 9 April 2018 to attach the poppies to the selected tree.
If you want to know who to contact in your area please email lianne.vandenbemd@waidc.govt.nz.
ANZAC 2017
Community groups across the Waikato district decorated trees with thousands of red knitted poppies in a district-wide ‘yarn bombing’ street art project to commemorate ANZAC Day in 2017.
Groups in Port Waikato, Matangi, Tuakau, Pokeno, Huntly, Ngaruawahia, Raglan, Glen Massey, and Te Kauwhata enthusiastically knitted for months and the first of many trees ‘blossomed’ in Garden Place, Huntly on Friday 7 April.
All of the trees will be decorated by Tuesday April 18 and will reflect the individual interpretations of each community. The Port Waikato group, for example, created a special ANZAC tree out of driftwood for their knitted poppies.
Primary schools in Huntly, Tuakau, Taupiri and Te Uku (near Raglan) have also taken part in the project by knitting giant grey-green squares on giant knitting needles to create an ANZAC blanket for a district art installation that will include stories about what ANZAC means for each of the communities that are contributing. Click here to read the full story