The South African War was a battle from 1899 – 1902 between the British and two Boer republics. The conflict arose over control of the Witwatersrand gold mine in South Africa. Among the 100,000 casualties were residents of Hawke’s Bay. This Boer War memorial was erected in 1906 as a tribute to the 388 local men who served. On top of the obelisk is a mourning trooper holding an inverted rifle. On the side is a lion carving holding a shield. After being destroyed during the 1931 earthquake, the Napier South African War Memorial was refurbished in 1947.
