HEADLINES:

The statue is finished . . !!! Awaiting shipment to Auckland;
Investigating options for temporary display of statue for six months before erection at the Memorial, Thames Airfield;

$35,000 required to complete the Sir Keith Park Memorial:
spread the good word to your friends, colleagues, associates and families.

OUR MISSION:

At this time, it is appropriate to reaffirm the objectives of this project – to create an enduring memorial to, and memory of, Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park – born in Thames. Proclaimed by the Auckland Star Newspaper in 1962 as one of the ten greatest New Zealanders. Sadly, not so recognised today.

Our mission is to gain greater and more appropriate recognition and acknowledgement of Sir Keith and his aspirational achievements and successes in both peace and war times.

A role model to all young (and not so young!) New Zealanders, for his qualities of:

  • Leadership
  • Integrity
  • Ethics and Morals
  • Courage
  • Ingenuity and Resourcefulness
  • Intuition
  • Commitment to any task he was given, at whatever personal cost to himself
  • Compassion and Humanity

SIR KEITH PARK BRONZE STATUE – UPDATE:

The statue has been completed as the photos below show. The statue is now being packaged and crated for shipment to Auckland, where is scheduled to arrive late January/early February 2025.

This is a most important milestone, as it shows that the Sir Keith Park Memorial will indeed be completed. Inauguration of the statue/memorial will be on Sunday 14th September 2025, which is being planned as an awesome occasion. More details will follow in the coming months.

The statue portrays Sir Keith in his flying uniform looking into the distance, awaiting the return of his pilots from a mission. In his left hand he holds a timepiece by which he can best judge their ETA. The definition which Joanne (our sculptor) has achieved in the whole statue, but more particularly in the face, is truly amazing.

Back at the clay modelling stage, she purchased era-true RAF uniform and Mae West from England, which husband – Huw – modelled so that Joanne could capture how the items fitted, and how the folds sat particularly on the arms and legs.

On the base of the finished statue, at his feet, there are impressions of the many medals and awards he received through Sir Keith’s service lifetime.

FUNDRAISING:

Although sufficient funds have been raised to complete the bronze statue of Sir Keith Park, funds in the order of $35,000 are still needed to get the Memorial project to the finish line.

Please help with a donation – to whatever extent you can.

The banking details are on our “Support” page.

For those of you who have already donated – for which I am most grateful – please spread the word to your friends, colleagues, associates and families to encourage them to make a donation. This is the most effective way by which we will meet our target.

Feel free to widely distribute this Newsletter, or any other of the material that I have sent you in the past to support the cause and spread the good word.