Trip to Wellington - Part 2

As promised, I've assembled more images of our family visit to the Great War Exhibition and Te Papa in Wellington. The Te Papa exhibition focuses on a number of over-sized models of individual New Zealanders who served at Gallipoli, as well as some dioramas and inter-active displays...truly fantastic! The Te Papa exhibition and the Great War Exhibition compliment each other and visitors should set aside a whole day if they want to take in both in one day.      

Lt. Herbert Westmacott of the Auckland Infantry Battalion who was wounded at Gallipoli on the day of the landing. This Weta Workshop model at Te Papa is so detailed you can even see the sweat on his face

An inter-active 3 D display that shows the progress of the Anzacs and Turks by using lighting over the topography 

Diorama of Quinn's Post at Gallipoli in the Te Papa display. Note the netting to defend against Turkish grenades.

Sap up to Quinn's Post

Rear area of Quinn's Post.

Cross section of trench work showing how close the Anzacs and Turks were in some places. Note the tunnelling of the NZ Engineers, which was commonplace at Gallipoli    

A New Zealand soldier sharing his food with flies...flies were as much the enemy to the Anzacs as were the Turks  at Gallipoli

Two Maori Contingent soldiers firing a Maxim machine gun  

Another interactive display showing the progress of the Battle of Chunuk Bair at Te Papa

Some of the 5,000 54mm figures used on the Chunuk Bair diorama at the Great War Exhibition. Note the figure of Sir Peter Jackson with a camera at the left of the photo

The brigade HQ of  Brigadier General F.E. Johnston during the attack on Chunuk Bair. Johnston was believed to have been drunk as the battle progressed  

I reckon the bare-headed figure with the white shirt in the middle of this image may have been one of the 30 odd figures I painted for the project.

The Turks streaming over the crest of Chunuk Bair, with Lt.Col. William Malone's HQ position in the right foreground.  

Lt.Col. William Malone of the Wellington Infantry Battalion, killed on Chunuk Bair and now  considered a hero for his defence of the position. 

The figure in the foreground waving on his troops was created by the Perry brothers to represent Rhys Jones.

Turks attempting to overrun the forward trench of the Wellingtons

I reckon the figure with the Lemon Squeezer hat in the foreground is another from my painting stable. 

NZ wounded in the gully below the crest of Chunuk Bair

Signaller Cyril Bassett, the only New Zealander to receive a VC at Gallipoli  - earned through his continuous attempts to keep communications with Malone's HQ.    

The decimated Auckland Battalion at the Apex 

New Zealand head-wear at Gallipoli - from Peter Jackson's personal collection 

Some of the collection of contemporary images colourized by Weta Digital for the Exhibition and displayed in the Gallipoli Room.


Anzac Day 2016 will see the opening of the 'Trench Experience' at the Great Exhibition where visitors will get to experience the life-like sights, sounds and smells of trench warfare. This promises to be another world-class addition to the Exhibition and certainly a great incentive for me to pay another visit...I can't wait!


I've currently got some dismounted Jacobite dragoons (Williamite War in Ireland) and British Legion infantry (AWI) under the brush at the moment and they'll feature in my next post.

Until next time!