The Massey Memorial at Point Halswell is a tribute to William Ferguson Massey, who served as New Zealand’s prime minister from 1912 until 1925. In 1886, amidst concerns about Russia’s presence in the Pacific after the Crimean War, a gun emplacement was built on the site. After Massey’s death, the fort was converted into a mausoleum in 1930.
Featuring seven columns in a semi-circle topped by a curved marble block, the memorial’s design traces the original fort. The paved walkway marks the former magazine area, now a passage to the former gun pit that became the vault.
A conservative politician, Massey was a staunch imperialist, who advocated for military strength and rural farming. Massey also enacted policies that received push back, including restricting immigration for a “white’ New Zealand and crushing workers’ protests with military force. His memorial was vandalized in March 2023 by unknown individual who threw paint over Massey’s portrait and damaged the vault. Students of Massey University have also campaigned to rename their school.
While Massey’s monument still stands, the future of his legacy, and monument, is in question.
