CELEBRATING
FREEDOM
FRIENDSHIP
AND FUTURE
The Story of le Quesnoy
Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary decisions. Such is the story that led to the freeing of the people of Le Quesnoy.
Weta Workshop experience
Known for their cinematic approach, Wētā Workshop has crafted this emotive, multi-sensory experience. The museum connects visitors to New Zealand’s involvement in Le Quesnoy’s liberation through dramatic storytelling, sculptural artworks and immersive soundscapes.
KIWI SPIRIT
Te Arawhata symbolises the immutable characteristics of the soldiers who climbed it, but also the successive generations – encouraging them, us and those who follow to be ambitious, resilient, determined and courageous.
Visiting the New Zealand Liberation Museum - Te Arawhata
Come to Le Quesnoy to visit the museum and also to take in the beauty of this small French town that has been witness to so much history. Walk around the rampart fortifications dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries with beautiful parks, including many oak trees, which are the symbol of the town.
THE TOWN OF Le Quesnoy
Founded in c.1150 and surrounded by 16th century walls, the town has a long and rich history.
You’ll find New Zealand street signs in the Old Town, and on the outskirts, on Rue du 11 Novembre 1918, is École Maternelle Docteur Averill. This pre-school is named after Leslie Averill, the first man up the ladder on the 4th of November 1918.
Outside the walled city, the beautiful lakes are popular in summer, and poppies flourish by the ramparts.
If you happen to visit in August, you might see two giant figures as part of a carnival. Pierrot Bimberlot was created in 1904, and in 2004 a giant Māori figure was created in accompaniment.
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