TAUMARUNUI Hospital charge nurse manager Sarath Surendran and his colleague nurse Bronwyn Hallett laid a wreath at the ceremony. Bronwyn is dressed in a nurse's uniform from 1923. PHOTO'S: PAUL CHARMAN
The unveiling of a monument to commemorate the 1923 Ongarue Railway Disaster caused organisers some last-minute headaches on Saturday.
Due to some “delivery hiccups” the monument’s main plinth arrived and was bolted in place only about two hours ahead of the ceremony at 11am, organising committee member Audrey Walker said.
“We were just glad that it did arrive as we’d had to face the prospect of going ahead with the ceremony without it.”
Meanwhile, panels telling the story of the derailment, which claimed 17 lives and seriously injured 28 others, were also not completed in time.
The panels, which will eventually be finished in durable materials, will be represented for the time being by temporary versions, to be replaced later.
Audrey said the ceremony, attended by about 200 people, was a wonderful history lesson for children from Ongarue School, some of whom had great grandparents who participated in the rescue that followed the derailment.
“The day was made special by the hospitality of the Te Rongoroa Marae, who catered a generous lunch at Ongarue School following the ceremony.”
At the ceremony, the names of the dead were read out, but it was also a tribute to heroic efforts of passengers on the train, locals and railway staff who participated in the rescue. Among these were members of the 1923 National Māori Rugby Team, who did an amazing job pulling passengers from the wreck, Audrey said.
“Apparently many of these men were returned servicemen from World War II and hence were more able to cope with the grim sights they saw following the crash.
“By contrast I met a visitor who told me his father was only 12 when he was a passenger aboard the train that day, and unfortunately his dad carried the traumatic experience with him for the rest of his life.”
Wreaths were laid by the Māori Rugby Union, the Taumarunui Rail Centre Trust, the Rail Heritage Trust, the Fire Service, Police, St John Ambulance and others.
The general secretary of the Rail and Maritime Transport Union Todd Valster said the tragedy was a reminder to stay vigilant when it came to safety.
Following the disaster, a range of improvements were made, including that wooden carriages were replaced by stronger and safer metal ones.
Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton said the development of a memorial was long overdue given the scale and impact of the incident, which remained the third worst railway accident in the history of New Zealand.
The memorial had a special significance for him as he was the grandson of the Taumarunui Railway stationmaster at the time, Alfred Weston Kirton, who played a leading role in the recovery operation.
Weston unveiled the monument assisted by Les Dyne, the grandson of Arthur Dyne, the railway officer in charge at the crash site in 1923.
Les is the author of the book commissioned to tell the story of the disaster, Ongarue Railway Accident 1923: A tribute to a prompt rescue.
Weston said the stories and photos now on display at the memorial spoke for themselves and provided a permanent reminder of the tragedy and its place in New Zealand’s rail history.
“It was wonderful to see so many people turn out for the unveiling, including many from the local community and organisations who helped to build the site,” Weston said.
