[2] A band rotunda had been suggested as early as 1917 to provide a place for public music performances in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, and this was seen as an appropriate memorial.

[4] A major reason for the delay was the desire of the organising committee to build it in the "ideal" place, which they considered to be the Archery Lawn in the centre of the gardens.

[4] In 1924, possibly in an attempt to speed up the process, a location on the banks of the Avon River between Colombo and Manchester streets was made available, with the Christchurch City Council setting aside £NZ400 to build a municipal band rotunda.

It was suggested that the memorial rotunda project should be moved to this location, so that the funds could be combined to build a grander structure.

[citation needed] The rotunda was designed by Sidney and Alfred Luttrell and constructed by the Rennell Brothers.