A century-old connection between New Zealand and northern France will be formally renewed tomorrow (Friday, 16 October), when a delegation from Arras visits Rotorua to advance cultural and civic partnerships.
Led by Arras Mayor Frédéric Leturque alongside French Ambassador François Decoster, the delegation will meet with representatives from Rotorua Lakes Council and Te Puia | New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI). The meeting highlights a shared history dating back to World War I, when members of the New Zealand Engineers Tunnelling Company – which included 43 members of the Māori Pioneer Battalion – constructed an extensive underground network beneath Arras.
Between 1916 and 1917, approximately 500 New Zealand tunnellers connected and expanded medieval chalk quarries 20 metres below the city to accommodate up to 24,000 soldiers ahead of the Battle of Arras. Sections of the underground complex were named after New Zealand locations, leaving historical inscriptions that remain today. Part of this network, known as the Wellington Quarry (Carrière Wellington), now operates as a major memorial site and historical center in northern France.
To commemorate these historical ties, the City of Arras commissioned NZMACI to carve a Waka Maumahara – a traditional vessel of remembrance – for installation at the Wellington Quarry. Several carvers working on the project are direct descendants of soldiers who served in the Māori Pioneer Battalion during the Arras operation. The Arras delegation will observe the carving process in Rotorua, where the project is expected to be near its halfway point.
During the visit, Mayor Leturque and Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell will sign a Twinning Charter to formally recognize the civic relationship between the two cities. Additionally, Arras officials and Te Puia | NZMACI will sign a Cooperation Charter aimed at facilitating ongoing exchanges.
The agreements seek to increase awareness of the Wellington Quarry within New Zealand while promoting Māori art, culture, and educational initiatives in France.