Chief of Defence Force to recite Ode at 1000th Last Post ceremony

The Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Tim Keating and Minister of Defence Ron Mark will recite the Ode of Remembrance tomorrow to mark the 1000th Last Post ceremony at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park.

One will recite the Ode in te reo Māori and the other in English.

The ceremony will also be attended by Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Grant Robertson.

Since 25 April, 2015, the New Zealand Defence Force, in partnership with the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, has been marking the First World War centenary each evening with a Last Post ceremony at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park

The service, held every day at 5pm, lasts about 7 minutes and incorporates the lowering of the two New Zealand flags at the Memorial, the playing of the Last Post, the observation of one minute’s silence and the recitation of the Ode of Remembrance in te reo Māori and English.

Anyone can be a part of this daily remembrance and members of the public are welcome to lay floral tributes at the end of the ceremony. Those wishing to attend tomorrow’s ceremony should be at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park by 4.30pm.

The ceremony will be held every day until 11 November, 2018, which will mark the centenary of Armistice Day.