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Otago Daily Times
16-07-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Erebus captain's daughter says memorial belongs in Auckland
Kathryn Carter's father Jim Collins was the pilot of the Erebus flight. She was 15 when he died. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly The eldest daughter of the Erebus captain says she's grateful to Christchurch for offering to host a memorial, but still believes the national memorial should be in Auckland. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage announced three possible Christchurch locations for an Erebus memorial site have been shared with families. The sites will honour the 257 people who lost their lives in 1979 when Flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mt Erebus in Antarctica while on a sight-seeing tour. An earlier plan for the memorial to be built at a park in Auckland city's fringe suburb of Parnell triggered opposition from several groups - including people who feared for the health of a pōhutukawa and others who worried it would change the tone of the park. The plan was abandoned in 2023 after storm damage made it unsafe to build on the site. Photo: Colin Monteith / Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection Kathryn Carter, the eldest daughter of the late Erebus captain Jim Collins, said she wanted to see Auckland "take ownership" for the national memorial, which is long overdue. She said it was generous for Christchurch City to offer to host the memorial, but believed Auckland was most suitable for it - as the home city for a significant number of passengers and crew members on board Erebus. Carter said that sentiment was shared among many of the family members of victims whom she had kept in touch with over the years. Auckland was where the flight departed and the city would be the best place for the memorial to celebrate Erebus passengers' "journey into the unknown" and to celebrate their lives, Carter said. She said Auckland, as the main hub in New Zealand, would also be the most convenient place for the family of the victims across the country and the world to come and pay tribute. Carter said "the whole of NZ is involved in the loss" and added that it was frustrating that there was still no national memorial decades after the disaster.
Otago Daily Times
16-07-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Erebus captain's daughter grateful for Chch offer but says national memorial belongs in Auckland
Kathryn Carter's father Jim Collins was the pilot of the Erebus flight. She was 15 when he died. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly The eldest daughter of the Erebus' captain says she's grateful to Christchurch for offering to host a memorial, but still believes the national memorial should be in Auckland. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage announced three possible Christchurch locations for an Erebus memorial site have been shared with families. The sites will honour the 257 people who lost their lives in 1979 when Flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mt Erebus in Antarctica while on a sight-seeing tour. An earlier plan for the memorial to be built at a park in Auckland city's fringe suburb of Parnell triggered opposition from several groups - including people who feared for the health of a pōhutukawa and others who worried it would change the tone of the park. The plan was abandoned in 2023 after storm damage made it unsafe to build on the site. Photo: Colin Monteith / Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection Kathryn Carter, the eldest daughter of the late Erebus captain Jim Collins, said she wants to see Auckland "take ownership" for the national memorial, which is long overdue. She said it was generous for Christchurch City to offer to host the memorial, but believed Auckland was most suitable for it - as the home city for a significant number of passengers and crew members on board Erebus. Carter said that sentiment was shared among many of the family members of victims whom she had kept in touch with over the years. Auckland was where the flight departed and the city would be the best place for the memorial to celebrate Erebus passengers' "journey into the unknown" and to celebrate their lives, Carter said. She said Auckland, as the main hub in New Zealand, would also be the most convenient place for the family of the victims across the country and the world to come and pay tribute. Carter said "the whole of NZ is involved in the loss" and added that it was frustrating that there was still no national memorial decades after the disaster.
1News
16-07-2025
- General
- 1News
Focus for Erebus memorial sites turns to Christchurch
After years of controversy and delays, three new potential sites for an Erebus memorial have been announced. All 257 people lost their lives in 1979 when Flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mt Erebus in Antarctica while on a sight-seeing tour. Families have been waiting for a permanent location in New Zealand to honour their lives ever since. In 2018, Auckland's Parnell Rose Gardens was selected as the spot for it, but the land was damaged by poor weather in 2023. Then, on the 45th anniversary of the disaster in November last year, the Ministry of Heritage and Culture advised a decision on a new site would be made by the end of the year. ADVERTISEMENT Nine months on it's revealed it's considering three new options in Christchurch. Secretary for Culture and Heritage, Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae said: 'The potential sites we shared with Erebus families and members of Operation Overdue are Avon Riverbank in the central city, Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere and St James' Church grounds in Harewood.' The Ministry said one other site remains under consideration in Auckland, which is Takaparawhau, Bastion Point. A spokesperson added: "Any decisions about where the National Erebus Memorial will be located will be made by the Ministry's Chief Executive, Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae, who will consider the offer alongside any other viable options in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland." The Ministry is currently seeking feedback from Erebus families on each of the potential sites. An earlier vision for the memorial in Auckland. (Source: Ministry for Culture and Heritage) Leauanae said: 'We are grateful to Erebus families for their continued engagement. Sharing these potential sites is an important step, and we will carefully consider their feedback. ADVERTISEMENT 'We are committed to building this memorial – for the people who lost loved ones, for New Zealanders, and for those here and overseas impacted by the Erebus tragedy." Christchurch 'honoured' Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger says the city is honoured to be considered as a possible location for the memorial. 'As a city, we have experienced tragedy and understand the deep impact the Erebus disaster continues to have on people across Aotearoa," Mauger said. 'Christchurch is long connected to Antarctica, we feel a deep sense of responsibility to honour the lives of your loved ones with great care and quiet dignity.' A 100-year commitment Ministry of Heritage and Culture deputy secretary of Māori Crown Partnerships Glenis Philip-Barbara last year told 1News: "I had anticipated this would be a challenging process, but I hadn't anticipated just how tricky some of these negotiations would be." ADVERTISEMENT Philip-Barbara said the memorial was asking for a 100-year commitment, which was "not an insignificant ask". At the time, while there were just two sites being considered, Takaparawhau in Auckland and Pukeahu War Memorial in Wellington, she had suggested the Ministry was looking for options in Christchurch too. A survey of family members late last year found Auckland was the preferred location for the memorial, with Christchurch the second most preferred. A minority supported a site in Wellington being chosen and, based on those results, the Ministry paused further exploration of building at the Pukeahu site. Family member Ross Negget has previously said: "I think Auckland would be appropriate, being point of departure and [intended] arrival of the flight." She said families had been assured the memorial would not be built in a place it was not "warmly welcomed". Asked about the continued delays, Philip-Barbara today said: "Manatū Taonga is working as quickly as possible to realise a National Erebus Memorial for Erebus families and New Zealanders. We continue to work closely with stakeholders to ensure appropriate processes are followed and a suitable site is selected."
RNZ News
16-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Erebus captain's daughter says national memorial belongs in Auckland
Kathryn Carter's father was Jim Collins, the pilot of the Erebus flight. She was 15 when he died. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly The eldest daughter of the Erebus' captain says she's grateful to Christchurch for offering to host a memorial, but still believes the national memorial should be in Auckland. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage announced three possible Christchurch locations for an Erebus memorial site have been shared with families. The sites will honour the 257 people who lost their lives in 1979 when Flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mt Erebus in Antarctica while on a sight-seeing tour. Listen: An earlier plan for the memorial to be built at a park in Auckland city's fringe suburb of Parnell triggered opposition from several groups - including people who feared for the health of a pōhutukawa and others who worried it would change the tone of the park. The plan was abandoned in 2023 after storm damage made it unsafe to build on the site . Photo: Colin Monteith / Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection Kathryn Carter, the eldest daughter of the late Erebus captain Jim Collins, said she wants to see Auckland "take ownership" for the national memorial, which is long overdue. She said it was generous for Christchurch City to offer to host the memorial, but believed Auckland was most suitable for it - as the home city for a significant number of passengers and crew members on board Erebus. Carter said that sentiment was shared among many of the family members of victims whom she had kept in touch with over the years. Auckland was where the flight departed and the city would be the best place for the memorial to celebrate Erebus passengers' "journey into the unknown" and to celebrate their lives, Carter said. She said Auckland, as the main hub in New Zealand, would also be the most convenient place for the family of the victims across the country and the world to come and pay tribute. Carter said "the whole of NZ is involved in the loss" and added that it was frustrating that there was still no national memorial decades after the disaster. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
16-07-2025
- General
- Scoop
Christchurch Sites Considered For Erebus Memorial Site
Three possible Christchurch locations for an Erebus memorial site have been shared with families. The sites will honour the 257 people who lost their lives in 1979 when Flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mt Erebus in Antarctica while on a sight-seeing tour. The government committed to building a National Erebus Memorial in 2017, with Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage leading the project. A plan for a memorial in Auckland's Dove Meyer Robinson Park divided opinions with objectors claiming it would change the tone of the gardens, and it was ultimately abandoned in 2023 after cyclone damage and land instability meant it was no longer safe to build on the site. Culture and Heritage secretary Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae said the following three potential Christchurch sites had been shared with the Erebus families and members of the group Operation Overdue. Avon Riverbank in the central city Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere St James' Church grounds in Harewood The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is seeking feedback from the Erebus families on each of the sites and said no decisions had been made about locating the memorial in Christchurch, nor which of the potential sights may be selected. "We are grateful to Erebus families for their continued engagement. Sharing these potential sites is an important step and we will carefully consider their feedback. "We are committed to building this memorial - for the people who lost loved ones, for New Zealanders, and for those here and overseas impacted by the Erebus tragedy," Leauanae said in a statement. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said the city was honoured to be considered as a possible location for the memorial. "As a city, we have experienced tragedy and understand the deep impact the Erebus disaster continues to have on people across Aotearoa," he said in a statement. "Christchurch is long connected to Antarctica, we feel a deep sense of responsibility to honour the lives of your loved ones with great care and quiet dignity."
