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| Bulford Kiwi | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bulford Kiwi |
| Caption | Chalk hill figure on Salisbury Plain |
| Location | Bulford, Wiltshire, England |
| Type | Hill figure |
| Material | Chalk |
| Completed | 1919 |
| Height | 45 m |
Bulford Kiwi The Bulford Kiwi is a prominent chalk hill figure on Salisbury Plain near Bulford, Wiltshire, England, created by personnel of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force after First World War hostilities. The monument commemorates the presence of New Zealand troops in the aftermath of the Armistice of 11 November 1918 and sits within a landscape of military training areas associated with the Salisbury Plain Training Area, the Tidworth Camp, and the Amesbury environs. Its creation and subsequent maintenance intersect with institutions such as the War Office, the Ministry of Defence, the National Trust, and local authorities including the Wiltshire Council.
The idea for the hill figure emerged while New Zealand soldiers were billeted at Bulford Camp following demobilisation after the Battle of the Somme and other engagements on the Western Front. The project was organised by units within the New Zealand Division and involved personnel from the Royal Engineers working alongside soldiers from the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. Construction began in 1919 on a chalk slope owned by the War Department and utilised labour, tools, and logistical support coordinated with the British Army garrison at Tidworth Garrison. Contemporary reports in periodicals associated with the Daily Telegraph and coverage by photographers from agencies like Hulton Archive documented the event alongside commemorative activities attended by officers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and representatives of the New Zealand Government. The figure was laid out using surveying techniques influenced by practices in the Ordnance Survey and manual excavation methods consistent with projects overseen by the Royal Survey Corps.
The representation is a stylised kiwi bird measuring approximately 180 feet (45 metres) from beak to tail, cut into the chalk of the hillside; its proportions were established through measured offsets similar to procedures used by the Royal Engineers and by surveyors from the Ordnance Survey. The composition displays a large body, distinctive rounded beak and stout legs, and is bordered by paths used by personnel from nearby installations such as Bulford Camp and Larkhill Camp. The figure sits within a matrix of Salisbury Plain features including the Stonehenge landscape to the south and is viewed in relation to other hill figures like the Uffington White Horse and the Westbury White Horse, though its modern origin connects it with Great War commemorative practices rather than prehistoric iconography. Geological context includes the Chalk Group strata and the broader Downland topography shaped by glacial and post-glacial processes.
As a memorial erected by New Zealand troops, the figure functions as a marker of national identity for the Dominion of New Zealand within the context of post-World War I remembrance. It has been referenced in literature about Anzac formations and in studies of imperial soldiering that examine the role of symbols created by colonial forces stationed on British Isles soil. The Kiwi has appeared in cultural histories alongside subjects like the Imperial War Museum, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and commemorative rituals observed on Armistice Day and ANZAC Day. It also interacts with local commemorations conducted by civic bodies including the Salisbury City Council and veterans' organisations such as the Royal British Legion and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association. Artists and photographers from movements associated with the Pictorialism tradition and modern documentary practices have included the figure in visual surveys of Salisbury Plain and Wiltshire heritage.
Maintenance responsibility has involved cooperation among the Ministry of Defence, local landowners, volunteer groups, and heritage organisations including the National Trust and county-based conservation bodies. Restoration campaigns have drawn on expertise from the Royal Engineers and contractors experienced with chalk figure upkeep, using techniques to re-expose chalk, control turf encroachment, and stabilise slopes comparable to interventions on the Uffington White Horse and the Cerne Abbas Giant. Funding and logistical arrangements have seen participation by entities like the Heritage Lottery Fund, regional offices of English Heritage, and municipal heritage committees. Challenges include erosion from foot traffic associated with nearby training activities by units from Tidworth, vegetation succession managed in concert with ecological surveys by the Wildlife Trusts and landscape archaeologists from institutions such as the University of Southampton and the University of Oxford.
The site is accessible from public rights of way connecting to roads serving Bulford, Tidworth Camp, and adjacent parishes; visitors often approach from parking areas near Bulford Camp and along rural lanes linked to the A303 corridor. Access arrangements are subject to coordination with the Ministry of Defence due to its location within the Salisbury Plain Training Area, and safe visitation depends on adherence to signage issued by Defence Infrastructure Organisation and local authorities including Wiltshire Council. Nearby attractions include Stonehenge, Amesbury, Salisbury Cathedral, and military heritage sites such as the Horse and Groom Inn environs and regimental museums like the The Rifles Museum. Accommodation and visitor services are provided in towns like Salisbury, Tidworth, Andover, and Amesbury, and transport links involve routes operated by National Express and regional rail services via Salisbury railway station.
Category:Monuments and memorials in Wiltshire