The gift of the last poppy bowl to Christ’s College
01 May 2025
A hand-carved poppy bowl featuring a stunning piece of pounamu has been gifted to Christ’s College during a special Anzac service, marking both the sacrifices of Old Boys and the 175th anniversary of the school.
Another poppy bowl created by West Coast craftsman Jimmy Gordon QSM sits in Le Quesnoy in France, where the exploits of Old Boy Leslie Averill during the liberation of the town in 1918 during World War I are still celebrated today.
Of great importance, the College poppy bowl is the last of 290 bowls crafted by Jimmy to be gifted to places of significance, both in New Zealand and overseas.
For five years, Jimmy, 76, has been on his own personal mission, carving the bowls from recycled native timber and pounamu to hold poppies on Anzac Day. The beautiful bowls have been given to RSAs and marae around New Zealand, and several also sit in pride of place overseas, including Gallipoli, the New Zealand embassy in Washington, DC, Anzac House in Sydney, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Antarctica.
Throughout his “God moments” – dedicated to remembering the fallen through the creation of the poppy bowls – Jimmy has been supported by fellow Westlander of the Year Mike Keenan, and Glenys Byrne.
All three have presented the unique gift – carved from macrocarpa and totara – to College during the Anzac service in the Chapel.
Hokitika-based, Jimmy was inspired to launch his poppy bowl mission in his workshop during the pandemic, having been a woodturner for more than 60 years.
“Today, as quick as I make each bowl, they find a home,” he says. “You cannot buy one as they are all gifted. It is important to create the bowls to retain the Anzac spirit, and have something special where people can place their poppies. Each bowl will have a different journey to a different place.”
As Glenys explains, the trio believes that “Christ’s College deserves the last bowl”.
“First, we want to acknowledge the 175th anniversary and, second, we recognise that many great leaders, sports champions, and professional people have been educated in these hallowed halls,” she says. “We know that students today will carry on their legacies while remembering the service and sacrifice that have made it all possible.”
The bowls can also be found in Parliament and on many marae with connections to the 28th Māori Battalion (lauded for its outstanding reputation in World War II), along with resting in churches, and being placed at sites with significant Anzac ties.
