Polish Children’s Camp Memorial

We said our goodbyes to my sister and her family and hooked up the caravan.  I was on “tree watch” as Robin carefully towed the caravan along the drive.  On our arrival at Hastings the large tree leaning out over the driveway came off second best when it tangled with our caravan.  Just hope it didn’t scrape any of our paint in revenge. We had an easy and uneventful run south and pulled into a lay-by off the road just south of Pahiatua for a lunch stop.  There is a memorial to the former Polish Children’s Camp which was previously on this site.

Memorial to the Polish Children’s Camp

This piece of land has seen many changes.  It was once part of the Pahiatua Racecourse, established in 1902.  Soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, the racecourse was converted into an Internment Camp for foreign nationals, who lived there for two years.  The campsite was once again utilised when New Zealand offered hospitality to Polish children made homeless by the effects of WWII.  Over 700 Polish children and 105 accompanying adults arrived in 1944.  They had previously lived in forced labour camps in USSR, before journeying to Iran. 

The children attended primary school at the camp and were taught in the Polish language before attending New Zealand Secondary Schools.  They then took up apprentice training or entered the workforce.  The Children’s Camp was officially closed in 1949 and was then converted into a “Displaced Person’s Camp” for people who became stateless as a result of the boundary changes in Europe after WWII.  When this camp closed in 1952 the buildings were sold and the land reverted to farm land.  In 1971 the former residents of the Polish Children’s Camp wanted to mark this part of their lives with a memorial.  The land for the rest area was donated by the Balfour Stud Farm and the monument was unveiled in 1975.  It is wonderful that the NZ Government changed the lives of so many children from the ravages of war by offering them a new home out here in New Zealand. 

We arrived safely back home and began the task of unloading the caravan.  Two loads of washing later, with the fridge and tiny bathroom cleaned, and the floor vacuumed, things were ready for our next trip away.