The Auckland War Memorial Museum was constructed in 1929 with the aid of subscriptions raised by Aucklanders in remembrance of their war dead.
In the building's foreground is the consecrated ground of the Court of Honour and the Auckland Cenotaph (empty tomb). The first Cenotaph was a temporary structure of wood and plaster; built and designed by Sir Edwin Luytens at Whitehall, London, for the Peace Day events of July 1919.
Luytens designed an empty tomb on a pedestal in stark severity, without decoration or religious symbols and inscribed to "The Glorious Dead". The Cenotaph captured the grief of an Empire unable to bring home their war dead and subsequently a permanent Portland stone monument was built for the first anniversary of the Armistice in 1919 as a lasting memorial. The Auckland Cenotaph was copied from cinema newsreels as the blueprints for the original Whitehall design were deemed too expensive for their purchase.
The official opening and consecration ceremony for Auckland War Memorial Museum was held on 28 November 1929. To this day, Auckland War Memorial Museum is a touchstone of remembrance for families and returned service personnel who wish to honour their loved ones and fallen comrades.
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The top floor of the Museum houses several galleries on permanent display dedicated to those who served.
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