This project is made possible with direct funding, technical support, as well as in-kind support and referrals from many institutions, organisations and partners.
Financial and in-kind support
The Lottery World War One Commemorations, Environment and Heritage Committee.
The New Zealand-France Friendship Fund administered by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade and the Fondation de France.
The City of Arras and the Carrière Wellington Museum directly supports this project, pointing out the wealth of knowledge and new opportunities that this project would bring to the museum and the city.
- Visit the City off Arras website
- Visit the Expore Arras website
- Visit the Carrierre Wellington Facebook page
The New Zealand Institute of Surveyors (NZIS) emphasised the relevance of this project to the surveying community with regard to the application of professional skills that will bring to life some of our hidden heritage and make it accessible for future generations. The NZIS, along with the Patterson Pitts Group, and the National School of Surveying directly support Chris Page's Masters research.
- Visit the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors website
- Visit the Patterson Pitts Group website
- Visit the National School of Surveying website
ToitūOtago Settlers Museum, pointed out the connection between the New Zealand Engineers Tunneling Company and the Otago community, finding a place for the project in the "Call to Arms" military display at Toitū.
Lottery Grants Board
Patterson Pitt Group
Explore-Arras
NZIS
Toitu
School of Surveying
WW100
NZFFFA
Arras
Le Cnam
Fondation de France
Technical support
We are immensely grateful to Trimble®, one of the leading provider of advanced location-based solutions, for the generous loan of a Trimble TX8, the latest generation of 3D laser scanners. The collection rate, accuracy, and reliability of this model has been key in our project. The ability to fit a SLR camera for realistic colouring in difficult lightning conditions has impressed us.
- See more information about the Trimble TX8
- Read a blog entry about the LiDARRAS project on the Trimble Community website
Bentley Systems®, which develops leading edge software for manipulating, processing, editing, and visualizing point clouds, is generously supporting the project by providing licenses for their Reality Modeling Software. This includes in particular Bentley Pointools, a powerful and fast point-cloud visualization and editing software that is known for facilitating the manipulation of massive datasets such as the one generated by the LiDARRAS project.
- Find out more about Bentley Systems Reality Modeling Software
- See a Youtube animation of the LiDARRAS project made with Bentley Pointools
OLDHAM is a leader and expert in safety, flame, and gas detection. In particular, OLDHAM designs reliable, precision gas detectors for industrial applications. In order for us to meet our health and safety requirements in such confined environment, we thank OLDHAM for kindly providing us with a PS200 portable detector to ensure the team's safety while moving through the Arras tunnels.
Oceana Gold is a mining company operating the largest goldfields in New Zealand. The Macraes mines in Otago consist of both an open pit and underground mine. We are grateful to Oceana Gold for providing our team training in gas detection and allowing us the benefit of their expertise in underground safety.
PETZL® designs high performance headlamps with a broad, powerful beam, great autonomy, and an exceptional weight to power ratio. By providing us with a selection of ULTRA® VARIO, PETZL helped us progress in the darkness of the tunnels and quarries of Arras.
Trimble
Bentley
Petzl
Oldham
Referrals and encouragement
The Waihi Heritage Vision (WHV) is one of the driving forces behind the recognition of the men and achievements of the New Zealand Engineers Tunneling Company given that a relatively large share of the tunnellers originated from this mining community.
The Royal New Zealand Engineers Charitable Trust (RNZE CT) and Sappers Association (NZ) are in charge of maintaining, developing, and preserving historical records of the Corps of the Royal New Zealand Engineers (RNZE).
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) stressed how this project aligned closely with the NZDF's aims for the World War centenary commemoration by providing an opportunity to increase New Zealanders' understanding of how war has shaped our national identity and ensure that future generations will have remote digital access to this extraordinary underground world created by New Zealand forces.
The Embassy of France in New Zealand stressed the desirable benefits of this project in developing connections with higher education institutions from both countries.
The Alliance Française of Dunedin stressed the intimate connection between the New Zealand Engineers Tunneling Company and communities in Otago as many of the officers of the New Zealand Engineers Tunneling Company were graduates of the School of Mines of the University of Otago, now the National School of Surveying and the shared significance of this project to the Otago community and the French community.
The Otago Ngāi Tahu Research Consultation Committee indicates that this is a project that would be welcomed by iwi and also increase public awareness of the role of the Māori Pioneer Battalion during WW1.