Elliston Massacre Reconciliation Monument

The steep limestone cliffs south of town were the site of a notorious massacre in 1849, when local Wirangu people were pushed to their deaths. The Elliston Massacre Reconciliation Monument is a poignant reminder of this devastating event – and caused a surprising amount of controversy when it was unveiled in 2017. Debate over the number of people killed, the circumstances leading up to their murder, and the language to be used on the monument, exposed latent racial tensions and made international news.