Hastings and District Library by Night
Reason for the name
Following extensive community discussion, the people of Hastings chose a public library as their replacement memorial for an earlier memorial destroyed in the 1931 earthquake. In 1952, the Council resolved to build a war memorial library on Civic Square, creating a place of learning, remembrance and public gathering. It was opened in 1959.
Located in Civic Square in central Hastings, the Hastings War Memorial Library occupies a prominent civic position with entrances from Warren Street and surrounding streets including Eastbourne Street Lyndon Road and Russell Street, named after Major-General Sir Andrew Russell.
The library’s Hall of Remembrance faces Russell Street and looks across Civic Square toward the Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers Memorial, commonly known as the Cenotaph. This deliberate placement physically and symbolically links the library with the district’s primary site of public commemoration.
Conceived and built as a war memorial, the library is both a place of remembrance and a living civic space. It honours those from the Hastings district who served and died in conflict, while continuing to serve the community through learning, reflection and access to New Zealand’s military history.
The foundation stone for the Hastings War Memorial Library was laid on Remembrance Day, 11 November 1956, by Major-General Sir Andrew Russell K.C.B, K.C.M.G, commanding officer of the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
The library was officially opened in 1959 and stands today as a symbol of remembrance and a memorial to those who have died in battle.
The Hall of Remembrance contains a significant war mural painted by Peter McIntyre OBE, depicting an assault by joint branches of the armed forces on an unspecified beach. McIntyre also designed the etched windows featuring soldiers, as well as the marble ‘freedom’ stone.
The inscription reads: “Our freedom is bought with a price that others paid. As you pass through here, remember.”
Beneath the mural are two large bronze tablets listing the names of the district’s fallen from both world wars. Additional plaques commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and acknowledge service in Korea, Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam. A bust of Sir Andrew Russell is also on display.
The library continues its commemorative role through a carefully curated collection focused on New Zealand at war, including both lending and reference material accessible to the public.
