Family members divided over Erebus memorial in Auckland

July 25, 2021

A suggestion has been made to move the national memorial next to an aviation museum.

Relatives of the Erebus crash victims are divided over a suggestion to move the proposed national memorial in Auckland to a different site, next to an aviation museum.

It's been nearly 42 years since the Air New Zealand DC10 crashed into Mt Erebus, killing all 257 passengers on board.

The Erebus memorial is planned to be built in Dove-Myer Robinson Park in Auckland, but had been delayed due to protesters attempting to stop the construction.

The son of one victim says talk of moving the memorial next to aviation museum MOTAT in Auckland, is highly distressing and disrespectful.

His father Nicholas Moloney was among those who never made it home from flight TE-901.

“It’s been about 42 years since the accident and it's been such a long hard slog in that time - just emotionally,” says son, Dan Moloney.

His despair fuelled by a gathering in Western Springs, in which a group was proposing the memorial be moved.

Margaret Brough, whose father Aubrey died on Erebus has a different opinion.

“It's almost historic now of course and this would be the perfect place - a museum, it's almost museum stuff now isn't it?," says Brough. 

She said there's too much opposition to the current plan and her petition against it has gathered thousands of signatures. 

“The main thing is that 15,000 don't want it there but I originally thought, it’s not the right place," Brough says. 

Relatives who don't want to join the public debate say a democratic process is being disrupted by protestors and those who don't want the memorial on their doorstep.

But the ministry in charge of the memorial isn't budging from the current plan.

“We're working to start construction in Dove Myer Robinson Park as soon as we can,” said Tasmin Evans of the Ministry of Culture and Development.

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