Across Aotearoa, people young and old gathered on Anzac Day, 25 April, to commemorate and honour the courage and sacrifice of those who have served in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.

Less widely known is that Anzac Day is also marked inside prisons. Where possible, prison chaplains organise ceremonies as part of weekend church services or special Anzac events, giving both prisoners and staff the opportunity to reflect and remember together.

At Tongariro Prison, the Anzac Day service has become an annual tradition, led by chaplains Russell and Te Waiora.

This year, around 140 paihere and staff attended the memorial service. It was led by Te Hikoinga, a 40-strong kapa haka group, whose powerful performance included taiaha (spear) and patu (club) skills. The group honoured the memory of those who fought in pakanga (wars) around the world, including here in Aotearoa.

A harakeke rose wreath formed the centrepiece of the ceremony, alongside individual harakeke flowers. Participants were invited to lay these flowers or stand them in the whenua around the prison flagpole, creating a moving collective act of remembrance.

Chaplain Russell said the moment was especially powerful.

“Watching the harakeke flowers being placed into the ground was stunning — very poignant at the time. We’d both wondered beforehand whether the flowers were too big, compared with a small poppy. But as it happened, the guys came forward, picked up their harakeke flower, and stood it into the earth. It became something very significant.”