Enough memorials for Erebus
There has been much talk about a new Erebus memorial.
There are already two memorials in Auckland — one is a memorial garden in Waikumete cemetery with the names of those who lost their lives, and donated seats where people can go and sit in a peaceful place.
The other one is a stained glass memorial window in St Matthew in the City church. It was designed in 1989 by Rena Jarosewitch and it honours the passengers and crew of Air NZ Flight 901 to Antarctica who died on the slopes of Mt Erebus. Grid patterns remind us of computer charts and our present focus on technology. The sharp angles, piercing the white and grey are suggestive of a broken aircraft.
The dense white and grey glass suggests the whiteout conditions and snow of Antarctica. A superb window by a master craftswoman. Surely there is no need for another memorial at ratepayers’ expense?