A key part of Te Arawhata’s role is sharing the story of the liberation of Le Quesnoy with the people of New Zealand. February 2026 provided a great opportunity to get the word out in Aotearoa, as Marketing and Operations Manager Jacob Siermans returned home and extended a summer holiday into a series of presentations on the Museum.
Beginning in Le Quesnoy’s sister city, Cambridge, Jacob shared updates on Te Arawhata’s first two years with members of the Cambridge-Le Quesnoy Friendship Association. Over 80 people attended this opening talk, reinforcing the strong links between the two towns situated 19,000 km apart.
Across his “roadshow”, Jacob spoke in seven schools: Cambridge High School, Epsom Girls Grammar School, Westlake Boys High School, Mt Albert Grammar School, St Cuthbert’s School, St Mary’s College and Burnside High School. With “future” being a central theme of Te Arawhata, it was a pleasure to share our story with young New Zealanders who can now carry it further with them.
Jacob also bolstered key relationships with ministries, universities, museums, tour companies and other partners across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch during his tour home. Many meetings were a first chance to connect in person following more than a year’s correspondence across the world!
Finally, this tour was a chance to talk about Te Arawhata with an even larger audience. Jacob appeared on RNZ National’s Nights and NewsTalk ZB’s The Country radio programmes, where he discussed anecdotes and developments in Le Quesnoy with presenters Emile Donovan and Jamie MacKay. To listen back to Jacob’s interviews, click here: The remarkable story behind the NZ Liberation Museum | RNZ
Across three weeks, Jacob engaged in 31 meetings and held 20 talks about Te Arawhata and Le Quesnoy. He saw over 700 people in person and created connections which will continue to push Te Arawhata into a position as New Zealand’s home on the Western Front. This tour has proven the continued commitment within New Zealanders to remember the events of the First World War and to strive for a better, more peaceful future.
Thank you to all who have supported this initiative!
