Light the lamp

This is the refurbished lamp on top of the memorial to Boer War soldier Leonard Tarrant who died of enteric fever while a prisoner of war in South Africa. It was positioned near the Old Motueka Wharf to act as a beacon to ships approaching. It also had a drinking bowl for horses and recorded the end of the Boer War and the death of Queen Victoria.
It was rededicated yesterday with much military ceremony and honours and in the presence of over 100 people. Besides those who had contributed to the cost were the descendants of the Tarrant family, the Wratt family the great grandfather of whom was mayor and spoke in 1903, and the Moffatt family. Their ancestor Harry Moffatt had pushed hard to get the memorial up and finished. There was a small contingent of soldiers and RSA members including their chief personnel. School children from Lower Moutere sang and the Municipal Band played. All in all a tribute not only to Len Tarrant but the small committee of locals who put in the hard work of raising the funds and seeing the work got done. No different to 114 years ago.