Photo: Courtesy of Archives New Zealand
Some families of Mt Erebus victims who have endured an excruciating wait for a national memorial hope the emergence of three potential sites in Christchurch will eventually put an end to years of controversy and delay.
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage was seeking feedback from families about building a memorial on the Avon River bank in the central city, in Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere or the St James' Church grounds in Harewood to remember the 257 people killed in the plane crash in Antarctica in 1979.
A plan for a memorial in Auckland's Dove Meyer Robinson Park in Parnell faced major pushback, with objectors claiming it would change the tone of the gardens. The plan was ultimately abandoned in 2023 after cyclone damage meant the land was unsafe to build on.
Protesters in 2022 occupied the pā site of Mataharehare in protest of the then-planned Erebus memorial at Sir Dove-Myer Robinson Park in Parnell. Photo: RNZ
The government committed to building a memorial in 2017.
Phil Stewart, who lost his aunt Dawn Matthews in the disaster, said the wait was frustrating.
"For a lot of us, there's a fair bit of unresolved grief related to Erebus, and this dragging out hasn't helped," he said.
"My own brother, who was equally keen for the memorial to be built, has died since this process started, so he never got to see the memorial. I'm sure there are a lot of other stories like that, too.
"I just want it sorted, and I will be very sad if it descends to bickering about whether it should be Auckland or Christchurch. I just think we need to get it done."
As a Wellingtonian, Stewart said he was neutral about which city the memorial should be built in, but it was ultimately important for it to be a respectful place where families could gather to reflect and remember.
"Either place would involve some travel for me. I think Christchurch is fine, obviously Auckland was the first starting point, but to be honest, I think Auckland has had its chance and I think they've blown it," he said.
The Avon River bank was Stewart's favourite option.
Landscape around the River Avon and Victoria Square in Christchurch on a warm spring day in New Zealand Photo: 123RF / Chris Putnam
"I've visited the earthquake memorial along there a couple of times, and it occurred to me this would be a nice site. It's very accessible, it's quite a peaceful setting, and it's in the heart of Christchurch.
"To me, it also shows Christchurch is embracing the memorial and offering some hospitality, which is much appreciated.
"Cracroft Park on the Port Hills is fine too, from a different perspective, it offers these sweeping views of the plains and mountains and is somehow more connected to the sky."
David Allan's parents Malyon and Marjorie were on the flight, along with his sister Jane. Photo: Supplied
David Allan, who lost his parents and sister in the Erebus disaster, told Checkpoint that a national memorial was long overdue.
"My view is regardless of location, the important thing is that we actually have a memorial. I am ambivalent about whether it be Auckland or Christchurch," he said.
"It's a complete indictment of our society that after all this time we don't have one, and it's still causing considerable anguish for a lot of people."
Kathryn Carter, the eldest daughter of the late Erebus captain Jim Collins, said she wanted to see Auckland "take ownership" of the national memorial.
Kathryn Carter's father was Jim Collins, the pilot of the Erebus flight. She was 15 when he died. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
She said the Christchurch offer was generous, but she believed Auckland was most suitable because it was home to a significant number of passengers and crew.
The flight departed from Auckland, so the city would be the best place for the memorial to celebrate Erebus passengers' "journey into the unknown" and to celebrate their lives, Carter said.
However, the whole country was involved in the tragedy, making it frustrating that there was still no memorial decades after the disaster.
Photo: Colin Monteith / Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection
Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said the city was honoured to be considered as a possible location.
"We just offered and said if we can help, we certainly will," he said.
"I go down to the earthquake memorial, and you see people there holding their hands on their loved one's name and remembering, so it's important, we know what it's like.
"Two of the places that have been suggested are council land, we're more than happy to give that for the cause, it's up to the families or the Ministry for Culture and Heritage to decide where they want to put it."
The ministry's senior officer responsible for the memorial, Glenis Philip-Barbara, told Morning Report families had been surveyed on preferred alternatives to Auckland.
"Christchurch came up on top, and then, of course, we received the very generous offer from the mayor of Christchurch city to consider them," she said.
"So we moved off to Christchurch to have a look and see what we could present to families."
A cross on Mt Erebus marks the 257 people killed in the 1979 plane crash. Photo: supplied
She acknowledged the wait for a memorial had been "excruciating" for families.
"It has been a long journey and far more difficult than we ever anticipated. There are many Erebus families who just want us to get on and build a memorial."
The site at Auckland's Takaparawhau was also being considered, she said.
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