Fromfearntonz

Summer Goodkind’s lovely article in Tuesday’s Scotsman marking Anzac Day kindled a historic memory of significant importance to the little village of Hill of Fearn in Easter Ross, Highland. The photo of the New Zealand War Memorial in London’s Hyde Park of the “Celtic Standing Stones” depicts a lasting bond of camaraderie between nations at a time of turmoil and despair. It is a sympathetic memorial of considerable importance, bringing together the true value of recognition. The bronze standards depict so much of importance that may not at first be recognised. Some represent the similar pattern to the Southern Cross with the little lights atop that twinkle in the darkness within Hyde Park. Together they represent a group of soldiers marching in procession.

They also represent Maori pouwhenua markers, which are beautifully carved wooden “totem” poles marking the Maori cultural heritage of New Zealand. They also represent a class of weaponry marking the Maori contribution to the Second World War. The prominent commanders mentioned are General Bernard Freyberg and Keith Park, but their overall Commander was New Zealand’s wartime Prime Minister, Peter Fraser, born and educated at the little school at Hill of Fearn in Ross-shire.

Peter’s interest in politics arose when, as a schoolboy, he and his friends were allowed to listen in to the stormy debates on local and national issues amongst the local people held in his father’s workshop and known as “The House of Commons”. The arrival of the arch-conservative headmaster, Donald Macarthur, would add fire and brimstone to these debates in which Peter revelled. With little prospect of employment in the Highlands, Peter emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 26 where his interest in politics flourished, with him becoming wartime PM in 1940 on the death of Michael Savage.

He was the only Commonwealth Prime Minister, including Winston Churchill, to survive the post-war elections and became a highly respected founding father of the United Nations. The Anzac replica of the Celtic Standing Stones at Hyde Park in London also represent Peter Fraser’s Scottish heritage and unfailing support to the war effort which prompted Winston Churchill to say: “New Zealand never put a foot wrong.” And his name is there.

JEAN W CHEYNE Barbaraville, Ross-shire