February 2025 Newsletter #16

• The statue arrives in Auckland 28th February 2025
• Statue to be displayed in Auckland temporarily
• Joanne Sullivan’s contract executed

• Thursday 6th February 2025 marked 50 years since the death of Sir Keith
• Battle of Britain Commemorations update
• Malta proposal

The statue has been completed and arrives Auckland from the foundry in China.

As I do not want to install the statue at the Memorial at the Thames Airfield until immediately before the Sunday 14th Battle of Britain commemorations, I – with the fantastic support of Fraser Boddy and Barry Dreyer, have arranged to have it displayed in Auckland in the intervening period.

From about the second week in March, the statue will be on display at the Officers’/Northern Club on the outside deck, adjacent to Bankside for about three months.

Following this, the statue will be relocated to the foyer of the Vero Centre in Shortland Street, for a further three months before being transported to Thames.

It is hoped that exposing the statue to this high-profile Auckland assemblage may complete the fund-raising requirements to complete the project.

Officers’/Northern Club Venue

Vero Centre Venue

I can proudly state that the contract with Joanne Sullivan to produce this magnificent 2.3m bronze statue of ACM Sir Keith Park has been executed.

Joanne has been wonderful to work with, this exercise has been a wonderful privilege for me, not only because of her immense artistic talent, but for her enlightened vision for the statue’s interpretation and her gracious approach to pausing the development at the onset of COVID-19, when all apparent sources of funding and donations dried up.

We can’t thank you enough Joanne . . !!

(I won’t mention Excel spreadsheets though . . )

Thursday 6th February 2025 marked 50 years since the death of Sir Keith Park.

This was marked by radio broadcast items on Mediaworks and CFM, a wreath and placard were placed at the statue at the Thames Civic Centre, as well as at a number of other venues in town. Māori TV will include a segment about Sir Keith in their scheduled ANZAC feature.

He received a military funeral at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland. The service was conducted by the Dean of Auckland, the Very Reverend J O Rymer, who spoke of his charitable work, Christian faith, ‘integrity of character, simplicity and graciousness in life’, but very properly emphasised his ‘steel-like sense of duty, which had to be exercised at whatever personal cost.’ (ref: Prof. Vincent Orange, “Park” biography, page 262).

As per the wishes of his son, Ian, Sir Keith’s ashes were sprinkled over the Waitemata Harbour from an aircraft of the Auckland Aero Club, 20th February 1975.

A memorial service in his honour was organised by the Battle of Britain Fighter Association, 12th September 1975 at St Clement Dane’s in the Strand, London.

Commemorations to be held at the Thames Airfield Sunday 14th September 2025. This event will also include the unveiling of the statue of ACM Sir Keith Park, and the inauguration of the completed memorial.

My intention is that this will be an event of huge significance, and so it shall be!

I had initially planned to invite the Governor-General of New Zealand to head the list of VIPs. Now having read the 12 pages of requirements and instructions, I am now disinclined to make this invitation. Two main factors are that a number of the team would need to have Police checks, and that attendees would have to be by invitation only. That last clause defeats one of the main objectives of the Battle Britain event!

It is likely that the leading VIP will now be Hon. Judith Collins, Minister of Defence.

Further details will be advertised as planning progresses.

Whilst in Malta in 2023, I was disturbed at the almost total lack of any tribute to Sir Keith, Defender of Malta. Last September, when I was invited to attend the unveiling of the portraits of ACM Lord Dowding and ACM Sir Keith Park, I met two gentlemen with similar feelings of disappointment: Alastair Kerr, property magnate, and Air Commodore Rick Peacock-Edwards, Vice Chairman of the RAF Club (organiser of the unveiling event).

In email discussions since that event, we have started to lobby a number of Maltese VIPs from the President down, to determine the appetite for having Sir Keith promoted publicly in the island nation. Watch this space!