HISTORY OF THE RELATIONSHIP

During World War II, there were numerous Royal Air Force bases situated around Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire, in the north of England. Thousands of aviators had traveled across the globe to fight for their country with the Royal Air Force. When losses of aviators commenced, Harrogate's Stonefall Cemetery was designated as a Commonwealth War Grave.  As such, the Commonwealth aviators who died in action from a number of these bases were interred at Stonefall.  These aviators came primarily from New Zealand, Canada and Australia.

Twenty three New Zealanders are buried in the cemetery, consequently a link was established with Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, around 1953.  A visit was made in 1954 by a representative of Harrogate who presented Wellington City Council with a decorative mace that had been made by James Ogden & sons of Harrogate and bears the coat of arms of both councils.  In 1978, a formal sister-city relationship was established.  

Having uncovered that four of these aviators were from Wellington, H.I.P's Representative for the twinning, Kate Spencer presented a booklet that she had written about these four young men, to both the Mayor of Wellington and the Deputy Chief of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This visit, the gifts exchanged between the Mayors of Wellington and Harrogate and the fact that the ornamental mace is at every Wellington City Council meeting, has helped to reignite and reinforce the sister-city relationship formed so many years ago.​

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