Chunuk Bair Pine Cone

This artefact is a mounted pine cone brought back from Chunk Bair by the granddaughter of Colonel William Malone, Commanding Officer, Wellington Battalion. The Wellington Battalion played a pivotal role in the August offensive and the attack on Chunuk Bair.

Colonel Malone was one of New Zealand’s most outstanding soldiers of the Gallipoli campaign. He would not expose his men to a daylight attack until shortly before dawn. Malone’s Battalion seized Chunuk Bair on 8 August and then skillfully defended the position from several Turkish counter-attacks. At around 5pm, Malone was killed by ‘friendly fire’ and his body remained on the slopes, one of many New Zealanders who have no known grave.

This pine cone’s engraved plate reads: “Whence came this cone? From the trench of Malone on the heights of Chunuk Bair his courageous band held that land but too many remained buried there”. It is currently on display in the “A is for ANZAC: two armies, a shared history” exhibition in the Hassett Gallery.

Find out about our other museum artefacts and recent acquisitions.