C Company Memorial House

Gisborne


This cultural centre commemorates the dedication and commitment of the famed 28th Māori Battalion of the New Zealand Army who fought bravely in the European and North African theatres in WWII. In particular, the role of Māori men from the East Coast who made up the battalion's C Company – many of whom paid the ultimate 'price of citizenship' – is brought to life with poignant photos and stories. Stirring stuff.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Gisborne attractions

1. Tairāwhiti Museum

0.01 MILES

The Tairāwhiti Museum, with its fab gallery extension, focuses on East Coast Māori and colonial history. This is Gisborne’s arts hub, with rotating…

2. Footrot Flats Statue

0.19 MILES

Gisborne is already well endowed with statues, but this one commemorating the hugely popular Footrot Flats cartoons by Gisborne local, the late Murray…

3. Te Tauihu Turanga Whakamana

0.27 MILES

Like a giant sundial, Te Tauihu Turanga Whakamana is a large modern sculpture in the shape of a tauihu (canoe prow) that celebrates early Māori explorers.

4. Clock Tower

0.29 MILES

Built in 1934, this art-deco clock tower is the undisputed highlight of Gisborne's main street.

5. Captain Cook Statue

0.64 MILES

One of Gisborne's gaggle of Captain Cook commemorations, part of which is a globe etched with his roaming routes.

6. Gisborne Botanic Gardens

0.65 MILES

The town gardens are sitting pretty beside the Taruheru River – a beautiful spot for a picnic and a romp around the big playground. Wiggle through the NZ…

7. Sculpture of Te Maro

0.68 MILES

On the flanks of Titirangi Reserve is an impressive new sculpture of Te Maro, the first of nine Māori men killed by Cook's crew when they landed in…

8. Statue of Young Nick

0.71 MILES

There's no let-up in Gisborne's Endeavour endeavours: in the riverside park is a dynamic statue of Nicholas Young, Captain Cook’s cabin boy, whose eagle…