Mystery of the missing plaque

Published on 11 April 2022

Private Charles Morrison Ward lived on Aln Street in Oamaru, where his parents received a telegram reporting that he was missing in action after being wounded in May 1915 in Gallipoli. His sacrifice, and those of his comrades were remembered in the form of bronze or brass plaques, mounted on oak trees lining the streets of his home. The trees, of British Oak, would be an emblem of strength, constancy, and long life. These trees would be a living monument and keep green the memory of those who gave their lives.

Unfortunately, as time passed and Oamaru grew, many of these plaques and trees were lost. It was thanks to the efforts of the Memorial Oaks Committee in 1991 that the destruction was halted, and a process was embarked upon to survey and restore these unique testimonies to the contributions of young North Otago Volunteers. 

The first meeting of the Committee was held at the Forrester Gallery, and throughout the process the museum and archive supported the revival effort, being the eventual home of those plaques that could be recovered.

In a 2014 audit it was revealed that one of these plaques: Pvt. C. H Ward’s, had gone missing at some point in the last 22 years. It was thought that it had been lost somewhere in the collection, and with the upcoming redevelopment, there would be an opportune moment to reunite Pvt. Ward’s plaque with the rest of the collection.  Alas, the plaque did not turn up in the comprehensive search, however one clue had been found; a note saying ‘loaned to Wendy’ with no accompanying date or details.

Now, with Anzac Day coming up and having just completed a solid search of the collection whilst it was being moved, Curator, Exhibitions & Collections, Henry Buckenham says, "It would give us great pleasure to be able to find this missing plaque and restore it to its place amongst the others we care for. Perhaps we may even find a space for it and its story in the upcoming exhibition."

If you can help solve the mystery of the missing plaque, please get in touch with Henry:hbuckenham@waitaki.govt.nz 

The picture shows an example of the plaque style