This cache brings you to a World War I Memorial. Please take a photo of yourself or some personal object that includes the Red Beacon of Hope and add it to your log.
The First World War Memorial Beacon has special significance as Aotearoa New Zealand’s earliest-built monument to the Great War (1914-18) - a conflict of national and international importance.
In September 1915, the Auckland Harbour Board decided to erect a memorial beacon beside the launch landings, commemorating its many employees who had enlisted.
It also served as a guiding light for vessels approaching the nearby landings.
Nearby wharves were loading troops and military supplies during the First World War, a conflict in which nearly a tenth of New Zealand’s population served overseas.
The monument is an unusual example of a built monument erected while the war was in progress. The monument comprised an obelisk made of Coromandel granite surmounted by decorative ironwork and an electric lamp. A beacon of hope and also a safe return home.
As a ‘living memorial’, further information was added to the obelisk while the war was in progress. A later shield addition commemorates the Treaty of Versailles, signed in July 1919. When peace celebrations were held the following month, the monument was draped with festoons of lights.
In 1999, an anonymous Jewish German refugee from before the Second World War (1939-45) funded restoration work.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.