Pte. Sidney Norris

Sidney Norris was born at Otakeho in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island on 27 November 1894. His parents were George Norris and Betsy Norris (nee Lincoln) who had married at Lincoln in England on 13 June 1881. The family moved to Tauranga, living at 'Topcroft' which had been built in the carpenter gothic style from pit sawn kauri in the 1860s and 1870s by David Lundon and John Conway for Samuel George Clarke. Construction had been interrupted due to the Battle of Gate Pā | Pukehinahina in 1864, the site of which adjoined the land Clarke had leased from the Church Missionary Society (CMS). In 1987 the historically significant Topcroft was moved to Ranginui Street in Welcome Bay. Moving an historic building should not be undertaken lightly and especially not until all other possible ways to save the structure from demolition have been investigated. The original site and its relationship to the historic structure is just as important as the building itself and, when moved, the historic fabric and integrity of a building is unavoidably compromised and the full story lost to future generations. Sidney was living at Aongatete near Katikati when he joined the Canterbury Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion during World War I (Service No. WWI 6/3415). He was wounded in France and died of those wounds at Bailleul Casualty Clearing Station. Sidney was buried in the Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension [I. A. 21.]. He is remembered on the Roll of Honour in Katikati War Memorial Hall, the Katikati Memorial gates at Uretara Domain and in the Auckland War Memorial Museum World War 1 Hall of Memories (bio by Debbie McCauley, 8 January 2022).

Sources:

1. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...