Submitted by admin on o Āpereira 22, 2009 - 23:02
The Kiwi
The kiwi as a national emblem is of comparatively recent date. It was used after 1911 in the badge of the 2nd South Canterbury (Territorial) Regiment and became widely known from the giant kiwi carved on the chalk hill above Sling Camp, England, during the First World War. After 1940 the kiwi became synonymous with New Zealand servicemen overseas. The Kiwi Concert Party, which toured many battle areas during the Second World War, and the Kiwi (New Zealand Army) Football Team, which toured the British Isles, France, and Germany in 1945–46, greatly enhanced the emblem's popularity. Although in recent years it has rivalled the silver fern to some extent, the kiwi has never received official recognition or legal protection as the country's emblem. More recently, the kiwi has become the emblem used by New Zealand rugby league representative teams.