Exhibition of 44 embroidered panels telling some of the moving personal stories of Kiwi soldiers, nurses and doctors welcomed in the community at Hospital No 2 Walton on Thames between 1915 and 1920
The Mount Felix Tapestry is a community stitch project created by over 600 people in both England and New Zealand between 2015-2017. It commemorates and honours the 27,000 Kiwi soldiers who were treated at the hospital at Walton on Thames from 1915 onwards, the dedicated doctors and nurses who cared for them and the local community who welcomed them into their hearts. This beautiful artwork ensures that the stories of courage, resilience, romance and friendship, set against a backdrop of the unimaginable horror of war, will never be forgotten.
Designed by Andrew Crummy, this historical narrative has been transformed into a rich, lush story told in yarn. Created over thousands of hours by volunteers of all ages and experience levels, the Tapestry celebrates the enduring spirit of community and connections across nations and over time.
The idea that the Mount Felix Tapestry should tour around New Zealand has always been an important part of the project and significant funding has been raised to enable this. The Tapestry will be displayed in Papakura, Christchurch, Waikato, Upper Hutt, Dunedin, Wairoa and Waiōuru over sixteen months from August 2018.
Timetable of exhibitions:
- Papakura Museum, Auckland: 1 August - 23 September 2018
- Canterbury Museum, Christchurch: 6 October - 3 November 2018
- Waikato Museum, Hamilton: 10 November - 2 December 2018
- Expressions Gallery, Upper Hutt: 22 December - 4 March 2019
- Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, Dunedin: 15 March - 29 April 2019
- Wairoa Museum, Wairoa: 6 May - 29 June 2019
- National Army Museum, Waiouru: 3 July - 30 September 2019
For more information on the project and the stories behind the individual panels, please visit the website: mountfelixtapestry.co.uk