Over the past six months, the memorial arch has undergone a comprehensive clean and spruce-up at the hands of Otago Military History Group volunteers, including creating a 3D printed replacement barrel for the marble statue of a soldier standing atop the arch.
Otago Military History Group co-chair Peter Trevathan said the statue had been removed due to safety concerns some decades ago, but had been returned to stand above the memorial in 2007 — minus the barrel of the gun.
"Luckily, our member David Cunningham has been able to access modern technology, in the form of a 3D printer, so we have been able to make a replacement," he said.
"Now we just need to get it up there."
The descendants of the men whose names are listed on the arch — most former pupils of North East Valley and Upper Junction schools, are being invited to attend the blessing, followed by morning tea.
Mr Trevathan said the North East Valley Memorial Arch was among many others established in the early 1920s to remember those who died in World War 1.
In Dunedin, similar memorial arches also stand at Otago Boys High School, the Caversham School site, and the former High St School site, among others.
Unveiled on Anzac Day, 1921, in a ceremony led by then Dunedin Mayor William Begg, the North East Valley Memorial Arch had been built with funds raised through community effort.
Among them were four sons of the Brennan family, three sons of the Paisley family, and two brothers each from the Mercer, Andrews, and McLennan families.
Otago Military History Group co-chair Marlene Pooley said she had walked past the memorial arch many times, and had looked at the two panels listing the names of former pupils killed in World War 1.
"It was only when I was transposing them into a document that the full impact of the loss to the North East Valley community struck me," she said.
The war memorial project had been undertaken with the support of former North East Valley Normal School principal John McKenzie.
New principal Rachelle Moors was impressed by the project to refurbish a "significant site for the valley".
The Otago Military History Group was now planning to tackle the refurbishment of the war memorial at Caversham School site — a larger project that would require a lot of work, Mr Trevathan said.
He thanked Bunnings for its support with the materials needed to upgrade war memorial sites around the city.
SOLDIERS
Names of World War 1 soldiers listed on the North East Valley Normal School War Memorial Arch:
Adamson, W; Aitcheson, W; Aitken, T; Aitken, W; Allan, J; Anderson, F; Andrews, D.S.J; Andrews, F.J; Arthur, E.G; Bailles, T; Bardsley, D; Barnett, G; Bayne, J; Benfell, F; Bills, H; Birchall, A.U; Bland, H; Brennan A; Brennan J; Brennan W; Brennan, R; Brocklebank, W.H; Burgess, J; Burnett, T; Chadwick, E; Clements, J; Collins, J; Coombes J; Coombes, G.L; Cotter, R; Cowan, J; Crichton, C; Cromar, C.F; Currie, A; Day, G; Deans, A.C; Delaney, C; Donald, A; Dow, J.D; Downes, A; Driver, D; Drummond, P; Dudfield, A.S; Dyer, J.A; Edwards, H.W; Edwards, J; Fancourt, C; Ferguson, J; Fogarty, H; Foord, E.A; Goudie, J; Gray, H; Harvey, W.H; Henderson, A; Hutton, D; Hutton, R; Ibbotson, R; Jeffrey, J.B; Jenkins, J; Jervis, L.G; Keys, F.C; Kilpatrick, J. J; Knox, F; Lamont, A; Leckie, J; Lockstone, R; Macdonald, J; Manson, W; Mathieson, G; McGregor, D; McLaren, A; McLaren, D.C; McLennan, E.D; McLennan, W; McLeod, R; McPeak, J.R; Meikle, W; Mercer J; Mercer, A; Millar, V; Millis, A.J; Mitchell, A; Mitchell, T.S; Munro, D; Nearson, H.W; Nicholls, L; Oxley, F; Paisley A.G; Paisley A.K; Paisley H.W; Pearson, F; Potter, R; Pratt, C; Rees, S; Reid, T; Rennie, J; Rishworth, H; Robjohn, W; Rogers, G; Russell, G.G; Rutherford, A.B; Sainsbury, E; Saywell, R; Shaw, C; Short, J; Smith, C.R; Smith, J; Smith, J.B; Steers, H.S.A; Still, J; Struthers, J; Swan, J. (D.C.M); Swinney, W; Tonkin, J.R; Warren, J; Watkins, W.R; Wilkie, J; Williams, J.F; Wilson, W; Winter, W; Woods, E.
