ŌwairakaStatue of a Cloaked Woman

1995

Christine Hellyar

Hidden (in storage)

Type

  • Sculpture

Medium

  • Bronze

Dimensions

  • H3600 x W1060 x D40mm

Christine Hellyar, Ōwairaka (Statue of a Cloaked Woman) (1995), Alice Wylie Reserve, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

Image: Bronwyn Holloway-Smith, Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand, 2021

2022–Current

In storage

1995–2022

Alice Wylie Reserve, Mt Albert, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Artists
Credit

Auckland Council Art Collection

Associated Artwork Organisation(s)

Description

This patinated bronze statue of a cloaked woman was commissioned by the Mount Albert Women's Memorial Committee in 1994 to commemorate the women of Mt Albert. It represents women past and present who have settled in Mt Albert, raised families and helped shape the area, with the cloaked figure form inspired by Wairaka, an ancestor of Mount Albert who led with bravery.

The work was funded by the women of Mt Albert who were invited to contribute one dollar for every year they had lived in the area, with the balance paid by the Mount Albert Community Board.

Hellyar cast the sculpture on site so the public could watch, using a mould made of sand with a rock placed in the centre and vegetation pushed into the sides. The plants were removed before the liquid metal was poured, leaving a texture on the surface. Once set the sculpture was lifted into place with a crane.

A bronze plaque installed at the foot of the work read:

"This sculpture is a tribute to the sterling efforts of women who worked for the betterment of the community"

The work was vandalised in May 2022 and was removed for storage pending repairs. In 2024 Auckland Council’s Public Art team arranged for an engineer to scan the entire sculpture and build a mould for a replacement work under supervision and guidance of Hellyar and fellow sculptor Richard Mathieson. The new work (dated 2024) has been made more robust with stronger bronze and is positioned in a well lit part of the park. As per the original, it is patinated in blue on the botanical side and black for the volcanic side. The original has been returned to Hellyar, who is investigating a new installation site for it.

The original statue sat on a mound of scoria, while the remade work is anchored in basalt rock, connecting the sculpture with the significant volcanic history of the area: Ōwairaka / Mount Albert erupted 120,000 years ago.

See also: