POPPIES ON PARLIAMENT: The massive light display on Parliament House for the launch of the 2006 Poppy Day Appeal on the evening of 19 April 2006. The two very large red poppies were fixed while the centre ones spiralled down over the face of the building and down the steps, proving a hit with children and adults alike.

2006 Poppy Day Appeal Launch

To promote the importance of the 2006 Poppy Day Appeal, the main entrance of Parliament House in Wellington was the canvas for a dramatic light show – a “first” for New Zealand.

Switched on by the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs the Hon Rick Barker during the launch ceremony in the Grand Hall on the evening of 19 April 2006, the display drew many passers-by during the evening and the following evening.

The Poppy Day Appeal was held on Friday, 21 April 2006 and is the lifeblood of the RSA’s welfare funding which is available to all veterans – not just RSA members.