Bridge of Remembrance

This archway in Christchurch is one of two main war memorials in the city, dedicated to those who died in World War I, and memorializing those who participated in two World Wars and later conflicts in Borneo, Korea, Malaya, and Vietnam. It's owned by the Christchurch City Council and is on the Cashel Street Bridge at the head of City Mall.

The archway was built over the east end of the Cashel Street bridge, which links Oxford and Cambridge Terraces over the Avon River / Ōtākaro. The bridge itself was built by Edward George Wright, a civil engineer and contractor, and was completed in May 1873 for £509. This spot became a pedestrian precinct on Anzac Day in 1977. East of here is the business district and the main pedestrian mall.

The idea for a memorial arch, a "Bridge of Remembrance," was first suggested in a letter to The Press on July 24, 1919, by Mrs. Wyn Irwin, and the public supported it. Construction began on January 23, 1923. Lord Jellicoe, Governor-General and Admiral of the Fleet, laid the cornerstone on Anzac Day, April 25, 1923, with a blessing from Archbishop Churchill Julius. The memorial was unveiled on Armistice Day, November 11, 1924, by Lord Jellicoe. Soldiers used to march across the Avon River here from King Edward Barracks on Cashel Street, heading to the railway station in Moorhouse Avenue to fight in three wars.

The bridge was closed to motorised traffic in 1976. In February 2011, it was vandalized with graffiti, and then a fortnight later, the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake damaged the arch. Repair and earthquake strengthening were estimated to cost over NZ$2 million. Structural repairs were completed by December 2015 for $6.7 million, and the Bridge of Remembrance re-opened and was rededicated on Anzac Day, April 25, 2016.

The architectural design competition was won by Prouse and Gummer, with William Gummer designing it. The arch's central frame has the inscription *Quid non-pro patria*, meaning "What will a man not do for his country?" There are also unit memorials and a plaque to Charles Upham. The arch is ornamented with symbolic features like a cross, torches, a coat of arms, laurel wreaths, a Latin inscription, fascines, and rosemary decoration, along with decorative lions carved by Frederick Gurnsey. On April 2, 1985, this bridge was registered as a Category I heritage structure.