Stand here a moment with me in the Erebus Crew Memorial Garden. Think about the lives of twenty crew members. Each is represented by a native plant in this garden.
This garden stands as a tribute to the twenty crew members who perished. They were on Air New Zealand Flight 901. The flight tragically crashed into Mt Erebus in 1979. All 257 people aboard died. This remains New Zealand’s deadliest peacetime disaster. It also marks Air New Zealand’s worst accident.
Grahame Clark and his wife Raewyn helped create this memorial. Grahame was a former cabin crew member. He vividly remembers the day of the disaster. He joked with the crew before their flight. Then came the shocking news of the crash. He says it was a traumatic time. Everyone in the aviation community felt like family. Many lost close friends that day.
Look closely at the plants around us in the Erebus Crew Memorial Garden. Te Akitai Waiohua kaumatua David Wilson Takaanini blessed this garden. Each plant was sprinkled with water. The water came from snow melt from Mt Erebus. Antarctica New Zealand provided it.
At a special 40th anniversary service, aviation members gathered here. Friends and family of the lost crew also attended. Wreaths were laid. MPs Phil Twyford and Marja Lubeck participated. Marja Lubeck read a message from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The names of the crew members were read aloud. Then, twenty monarch butterflies were released. A minute of silence marked the time of the crash 1.49pm. The waiata ‘Ex Erebus’ was played. Miriam Clancy, niece of crew member Marie Wolfert, performed it.
This Erebus Crew Memorial Garden is more than just a garden. It’s a place of remembrance. It’s a space for reflection. It reminds us of the importance of safety. As the waiata says: “Where our tears meet the snow, you will never grow old on the mountain of hope.”