Auckland Institute. 527 



should form a combined museum and war collection ; and that it should be planned 

 on an impressive and dignified scale, so as to keep permanently aUve the purpose and 

 aim of its existence as a memorial of the Great War. 



The first step was clearly to obtain information as to the minimum cost of a 

 building large enough to accommodate the war collections and associated " Hall of 

 Memory," together with the collections of the present Auckland Museum. Without 

 such particulars it was obviously impossible to frame an appeal for funds of a suffi- 

 ciently definite nature to place before the citizens of Auckland. A committee of the 

 Council was therefore appointed to investigate the matter, and sufficient evidence of 

 a reliable nature was obtained to enable the committee to form an adequate idea of 

 museum requirements. 



After consideration it was decided tha.t the next step should be to ascertain what 

 assistance could be obtained from the State. The Mayor, as President of the Institute, 

 appealed to the Prime Minister on the subject. After the facts of the case had been 

 fully and clearly represented, a reply was received to the effect that a grant of £25,000 

 would be made if a similar sum was obtained by public subscription. 



It was then determined to apply to the major financial institutions of the city, 

 the name of the Auckland Savings-bank heading the list. The request was generously 

 and willingly received by the bank, which unanimously agreed to give a donation of 

 £25,000 — probably the largest single donation ever made in Auckland. Then came 

 a reply from the Auckland Racing Club, which at first voted a donation of £2,000, 

 which was afterwards generously increased to £5,065, that sum representing the net 

 profits derived from the race meeting given in honour of the visit of the Prince of 

 Wales to Auckland. 



At tliis stage it was felt that the time had arrived for setting up an organization 

 to promote the furtherance of the appeal for funds, and to enlarge the number of 

 workers in the cause. A public meeting was therefore held in the Town Hi. 11 on the 

 22nd October, the Mayor in the chair. It was then resolved to appoint a Citizens 

 Committee to promote and organize a public appeal throughout the Auckland District 

 for the balance of the funds required to erect in the Auckland Domain a War Memorial 

 Museum, which was declared to be the most appropriate form for Auckland's War 

 Memorial to take ; and, further, the meeting resolved that all questions arising there- 

 from be referred to such Citizens Committee, with power to act. At a subsequent 

 meeting of the committee, Mr. J. H. Gunson (President of the Auckland Institute and 

 Museum) was appointed chairman of the committee, Mr. V. J. Larner treasurer, and 

 Mr. W. Elliot secretary. It was further resolved that these three gentlemen should 

 be the trustees of the Building Fund. On further consideration, it was decided to fix 

 £200,000 as the objective of the fund, the general opinion being that such a sum will 

 be required to erect a memorial worthy of the city and its inhabitants. 



Almost immediately after the appointment of the committee the City Council, 

 acting with a high sense of civic responsibility, decided to vote £10,000 to the fund. 

 This was followed by a donation of £5,000 from the Auckland Harbour Board, while 

 the two chief insurance companies — the New Zealand and the South British — have 

 each given the sum of £2,000. 



Since than many public institutions and private individuals have made large con- 

 tributions. So far, the Citizens Committee have published no authoritative list of 

 donations, but it is understood that such will be shortly issued. In the meantime, it 

 is no breach of confidence to say that the total of the contributions made, a considerable 

 proportion of which has been actually received, is sufficiently large to ensure the final 

 success of the movement. 



It is not without justifiable pride that this sketch of the attempt to provide funds 

 for the Auckland War Memorial has been written. The beginning has been so unex- 

 pectedly full and generous that it cannot be doubted that the objects of the promoters 

 will be fully attained. And, if so, the citizens of Auckland will leave behind them a 

 proof of far-seeing generosity that it will be difficult to match in cities of much larger size. 



Election of Officers for 1920-21. — President — J. H. Gunson, Mayor of 

 Auckland. Vice-Presidents — Hon. E. Mitchelson, M.L.C. ; Hon. C. J. Parr, 

 C.M.G , M.P. Council— J. Kenderdine ; T. W. Leys, Ph.D. ; A. J. Lunn ; 

 E. V. Miller ; H. H. Ostler ; T. Peacock ; D. Petrie, M.A. ; Professor H. W. 

 Segar, M.A. ; Professor A. P W. Thomas, M.A, F.L.S. ; H. E Vaile ; 

 Professor F. P. Worley, D.Sc. Trustees — T. Peacock ; Professor A. P. W» 

 Thomas ; J. H. Upton ; H. E. Vaile. Secretary and Curator — T. F. Cheese- 

 man, F L.S., F.Z.S., F.N. Z.Inst. Assistant and Preparator of Specimens — 

 L. T. Griffin, F.Z.S. Auditor— S. Gray, F.R.A. 



