This memorial to the monarch Queen Victoria was possibly Wellington’s first official civic sculpture. Commissioned after the Queen died in 1901, it was originally intended as a national memorial to commemorate her reign, but a public outcry from people in other regions who felt they may never see it led Prime Minister Richard Seddon to announce it was just for the citizens of Wellington.

The Minister of Labour, William Pember Reeves, was given the job of searching for an artist who could create a statue for £3000. This sum was acquired through public donations. The commission was advertised in English newspapers and Drury ultimately won it in 1902.

He created the work in two parts, with the Queen wearing her robes of state with fine decorative detailing showing national emblems of New Zealand. The Pedestal was made from Aberdeen granite and is decorated with four bronze reliefs showing: The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, Fine Arts and Literature and the inventions of Queen Victoria’s reign. The fourth plaque bears an inscription: VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX 1837 - 1901.

The plaque depicting the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi has created much debate over the years. Drury’s attempt to create a dignified but believable scene has been interpreted in a range of ways from the ‘striking artwork and detailing’, to a terrible gloss over the events of 1840 and the post-colonial aftermath.

The memorial was unveiled by Governor Sir William Plunket in Post Office Square, Jervois Quay, with great pomp and ceremony on 29 April 1905. The plaques, however, were not ready in time and arrived at a later date. Placed high on a pedestal looking out over the streets of Wellington, the scale and placement of this larger-than-life figure speaks to notions of imperial unity and harmony.

The statue was moved in 1911 to its current site between Kent and Cambridge Terraces, reportedly due to traffic issues in the Jervois Quay area.

Heritage New Zealand - Queen Victoria Monument

Alfred Drury, ‘Queen Victoria Memorial’, (1905) Kent & Cambridge Tce, Wellington

Image: Bronwyn Holloway-Smith, Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand, Nov 2025

Between Cambridge and Kent Terraces, near Alpha Street, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington

Queen Victoria Memorial

As Neil Roberts records, the sculpture emerged after "a proposal was put forward to the Ashburton County Council and a public subscription list was begun by the citizens of Ashburton to raise the necessary funds for a memorial statue. Initially it had been thought that a prominent British sculptor might be commissioned but that was quickly found to be too costly and thoughts turned to finding someone locally.

“As a result Samuel Hurst Seager was approached and agreed to design the memorial. He in turn engaged Kidson to carry out the carving under his direction. The memorial design was dominated by the figure of Grigg standing bareheaded, a coat over his arm and a stick in his hand with raupo reeds and drainpipes beneath his feet. The four corner buttresses supporting the base of the statue represented the four virtues, Industry, Prudence, Fortitude and Justice and on the plinth of the statue three bas-relief panels depicting the farming pursuits of ploughing, harvesting, and shearing. A fourth panel bore an inscription.

“This was to be the major project to occupy much of Kidson's spare time during 1905. By March he had prepared a model of the memorial and had begun working on the relief panels. Both the model and the relief panel 'shearing' were exhibited at the Canterbury Society of Arts in April. Most of the memorial was eventually sculpted from Sydney sandstone with the relief panels cut from grey Westland sandstone which Kidson worked on at his Cashmere studio.

“In 1957 George Fraser recalled how the image for one of the relief panels came about: "one of the reliefs for this work, Harvesting, was modelled from a photograph I took of Charles Kidson in a field of stooks on the east side of Colombo Street at the foot of Dyers Pass Road." He also had recollections of the sculpting of the 2.4 metre statue of Grigg; "I have a vivid impression of seeing him chiseling the main figure and using a pointing machine in the studio at the bottom of his garden".

“By the end of September 1905 most of Kidson's work for the memorial was finished and the contractors, Graham and Greig, began its construction in Baring Square. When finished, the memorial stood 6 metres high and had cost £720. At its unveiling on Anniversary Day 16 December, speakers eulogised about Grigg but also paid compliments to the designer and sculptor who had made what was declared to be 'the first important piece of sculpture to have been made in Christchurch'. There was truth in that remark as up to that time all of Canterbury's public commemorative sculpture had been designed and sculpted in Britain. The success of this work and the collaboration with Seager had helped confirm Kidson's position among his contemporaries as Christchurch's leading sculptor and stood him in good stead for future public projects.”

'Canterbury Vignette Series: Charles Kidson : 1867 - 1908'

 (Robert McDougall Art Gallery: 2000), pp.14-15.

“This statue of pioneer settler John Grigg was unveiled in the centre of Ashburton on Canterbury anniversary day, 16 December 1905, four years after Grigg's death. The memorial was seen as a tribute to a pioneer who had transformed the swampy land around his property at Longbeach into a prosperous farm and had played a leading role in the export of frozen meat from Canterbury. Memorials to pioneers began to appear in small towns around New Zealand in the first decade of the 20th century.”

The monument is in two parts: a full-length standing portrait of the pioneer farmer, and a series of relief carvings of farming activities on the pedestal. Grigg is shown informally, holding a coat over his arm. The portrait is naturalistic, and the farming theme is carried through at the rear of the figure where sheaves of wheat help support the bas-relief image.

The base includes two plaques, that variously read:

“John Grigg / of / Longbeach / Born Cornwall England / 21st April 1828 / Died Longbeach New Zealand / 5th November 1901.”

“150 years on, the descendants of / John Grigg / gathered to celebrate his vision and lasting achievements / October 2014”

 (Te Ara: The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand)

Canterbury Vignette Series: Charles Kidson | Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

Samuel Hurst Seager and Charles Kidson, ‘John Grigg Memorial’ (1905), Whakatere Ashburton
Image: Bronwyn Holloway-Smith, Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand, Feb 2025

North-eastern section, Baring Square East, Whakatere Ashburton

John Grigg Memorial

JAMES COLVIN/ MAYOR OF WESTPORT,/1897 TO 1899/ MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT/ FOR THE BULLER DISTRICT,/ 1899 TO 1919/ THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED BY THE RESIDENTS/ OF THE BULLER DISTRICT/ IN RECOGNTION/ OF LONG AND FAITHFUL SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC

Engraved on the plinth:
Parkinson Sculptor

An information panel installed next to the work reads "This statue was erected and unveiled on Armistice Day, 11 November 1923 by current mayor John Menzies, Member of Parliament Harry Holland, Prime Minister hon. JG Coates."

William Parkinson, ‘James Colvin Memorial’ (1923), Victoria Square, Kawatiri Westport

Image: Bronwyn Holloway-Smith, Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand, Feb 2025

Near Remembrance Gates, Victoria Square, Cnr Brougham & Russell Sts, Kawatiri Westport

James Colvin Memorial

The building was initially completed in 1906, however further additions were made afterwards including the North Wing/Memorial Library, which has a large stained glass commemorative window dedicated to the University's fallen in World War One. The south wing was completed in 1923 after which the building remained largely unchanged, servicing generations of students, until the 1970s.

In 1974, the building was declared an earthquake risk, evacuated, and seemed destined for demolition. A group of determined alumni and friends formed the Friends of Hunter Society to save the building, which was strengthened, refitted and reopened in 1993.

The window lists and depicts various sites where the war was fought (Palestine, France, Acre, Gallipoli, Greece, Egypt, Germany, Samoa, Sinai, Belgium) and includes references to the Crusades. It also includes the New Zealand Coat of Arms (inscribed ‘Onward’), and depictions of the various armed forces. It includes Māori motifs and the phrase ‘Kia Kaha Ake Ake’ (stay strong forever) alongside the latin ‘Pro Patria Mortui Sunt’ (for your country is dead).

Below the window is a plaque listing the names of the members of the College (as it was previously) who gave their lives in WWI.

Fred Ellis, ‘WWI Memorial Window’, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
Photo: Bronwyn Holloway-Smith, Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024

Hunter Council Chamber, Hunter Building, Te Herenga Waka ~ Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn, Wellington

WWI Memorial Window

A sign installed with the work explains how this whakairo is part of a series commemorating Tūhourangi and Ngāti Tūwharetoa whakapapa of the Rotorua and Taupō area.

The work was gifted to the people of the Taupō District in 1930 by Mrs Ruihi (Lucy) Rongoheikume Reid (the artist’s niece) and her husband George Reid. Originally installed as the entrance to Tongariro North Domain, it was moved to the current location in 1969.

The wharenui Te Aroha o Rongoheikume (for the love of Lucy Reid) that greets visitors entering Taupō Museum, was carved by Tene Waitere at around the same time.

‘Displays: Wharenui (Māori Meeting House)’

, Taupō Museum (Great Lake Taupō: Taupō District Council website)

Tene Waitere (Ngāti Tarawhai, Te Arawa), ‘Reid Carving’ (1930), Taupō

Image: Bronwyn Holloway-Smith, Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand, Sept 2023

Lakefront at cnr Lake Terrace & Ferry Rd, Taupō

Reid Carving

The 'Aotea Waka' celebrates the settling of the Pātea area by Turi and his hapu after they voyaged from Hawaiiki to Aotearoa in the 15th century. They landed at Kawhia and travelled overland to Pātea naming many landmarks on the way including Tapuae, Oakura Waingongoro, Ingahape, Kaupokonui etc. The 'Aotea Waka' was unveiled 2 August 1933 by the Minister of Internal Affairs, J A Young.

"He [Rev T G Hammond] continually urged them not to forget the wish of Taurua that a memorial be erected to Turi. The Taranaki Maori Trust Board took up the idea....under the chairmanship of Tupito Maruera. The Borough Council was approached ...and with their agreement the site in front of the Town Hall was chosen. ...Mr F A Jones of Hawera suggested building it [the memorial] in concrete.... Towards the end, finance ran out and only four figures were in the canoe when it was unveiled August 1933." (Leslie et al.)

THIS IS A TOKEN OF REMEMBRANCE
ERECTED BY THE DESCENDANTS LIVING
THROUGHOUT AOTEAROA OF THEIR
ANCESTORS TURI AND RONGORONGO
THEIR FAMILY AND FELLOW VOYAGERS

HE TOHU WHAKAMAHARATANGA
TENEI NA URI E NOHO NEI I RUNGA
I TENEI MOTU I AOTEAROA
MO O RATOU TUPUNA MO
TURI ME RONGORONGO
ME TA RAUA WHANAU ME TO RAUA OPE
TE TAU 1933

"Since the commencement of negotiations Messrs. Tupito Maruera, Panenui Haurangaranga [sic] and Rima Whakarua have undertaken the most painstaking enquiries to ensure that the plans for the memorial would result in the construction of a canoe traditionally correct in every detail. The length and width of the canoe, the design of the stern and prow pieces and the ornamentation designating speed were important details whch were not left to chance, the completed work being unique in the history of New Zealand and of the Maori race. The modelling of the stern and prow pieces was done by Mr F. A. Jones, of Hawera, from specimen photographs supplied by the Native Arts and Crafts Society from its headquarters at Rotorua. Mr Jones also made four life-size figures —three warriors and one wahine—all elaborately carved. These were placed in the bow of the canoe together with other life-size figures carved by Mr Panenui Haurangaranga. [sic. - these may be the carved ponga figures replaced c.1956]

The stone figures represent Turi and his wife Rongorongo and members of their family and it is proposed that the carved wooden figures of their fellow-voyagers shall be replaced with permanent models when additional funds arc available for the purpose. 

The Canoe, with its ornamented prow, symbolic of speed and its high stern-piece, is coloured red and the top platform of the pedestal on which it rests, is blue, to represent the sea, with shells inlaid at regular intervals and a fish modelled in plaster at one end. Beneath the platform are two large marble tablets, inscribed, one in Maori and the other in English."

F. A. Jones, Panenui Haurangaranga et. al., 'Aotea Waka Memorial' (1933), Pātea

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

Aotea Waka Memorial

Ten painted and etched glass murals of children's nursery rhymes that were originally created for, and installed in, the children's Ward of Seddon Memorial Hospital.

The works are now distributed throughout Gore Hospital as follows:

Around the corner of the hallway heading to the ward:

“Joy Johnson, then aged eight, remembers the etched glass windows along the corridor with affection as her only distraction during a 10-day stay in an otherwise bland one-bed unit in 1942...The windows, by former Invercargill artist Molly MacAllister [sic] depicting nursery rhyme characters have been transferred to the new hospital.”
- qhote from 

Rosemarie Smith, Seddon Memorial: The rise and demise of a country hospital. (NZ: Seddon Memorial Hospital Book Committee, 2005),

It is possible this work was created by Molly during her time as a land girl at her uncle’s sheep farm at Waikaka in late 1940. It may also date to an earlier visit home during her studies at Canterbury University School of Art.

8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, or 9.30am to 6pm on weekends.

Molly Macalister, title unknown (c.1937) [7 panels], Gore Hospital, Maruawai Gore

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

Main entry hall & Maternity Ward, Gore Hospital, 9 Birch Lane, Maruawai Gore

Unknown [Nursery Rhyme Panels]

In 1938 Dame Louise Henderson painted 8 panels for the opening of the Rangiora High School Nursery School depicting rural scenes inspired by North Canterbury life. At the time she taught art and textiles for a half-day each week at the high school.

In 1994 the nursery underwent renovations and the panels were found in storage. 

When rediscovered, the identity of the artist was initially unknown, with the initials 'L.H.' the only clue as to their identity. Judith Hoult, the Education Officer of the then Robert McDougall Art Gallery, undertook research and was able to confirm they were done by Louise Henderson.

The panels underwent restoration in 2005 thanks to fundraising efforts led by the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts. Following a brief exhibition at the University of Canterbury Ilam School of Fine Arts Gallery (22 Nov - 8 Dec 2006), they were re-installed at Rangiora High School Nursery.

In late 2023 seven panels were gifted to Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū by Rangiora High School Nursery School, while the eighth is held in a private collection.

In a 2011 article about the panels for Heritage Matters magazine, Kim Newth describes their presence in the nursery school:

"Above a filing cabinet in the RHS Nursery School office, a large painted panel catches the eye. It shows a farmer walking the land with coat drawn up, hat pulled down and tractor standing close by."

"Elsewhere in the nursery school, hung above rows of lunchboxes and children's play tables, are similar panels showing cows in the field, as well as idyllic scenes of children picking apples, hanging out washing, or swimming and playing at the beach."

She further clarifies the relevance of the Nursery School to the subject matter of the paintings:

"Initially, the nursery school opened just once a week - every Tuesday, the town's market day. The expectation was that children attending would be from farms, their parents in Rangiora to transact business on sale-day. This explains the panels' prevailing rural theme: they were explicitly designed to resonate with and inspire young country children in North Canterbury.”

David Gunby, "Rangiora High School, 1884-1984, A Centennial History"

Marion Shepherd, "Some of My Yesterdays - the Autobiography of Marion Shepherd"

Josephine Rout, "The Louise Henderson Panels" (exhibition catalogue), SOFA University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts Gallery at the Arts Centre, 22 Nov - 8 Dec 2006

Kim Newth, “Enriching Children's Lives with Art in the 1930s”, Heritage Matters, Autumn 2011, pp.42-44

Louise Henderson, Untitled [Sheep] | Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

Louise Henderson, Untitled [Wheat] | Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

Louise Henderson, Untitled [Cows] | Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

Louise Henderson, Untitled [Sandcastle] | Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

Louise Henderson, Untitled [Ducks] | Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

Louise Henderson, Untitled [Fruit] | Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

Louise Henderson, Untitled [Dunes] | Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

Thanks to Phoebe Laird for assisting with this listing.

Louise Henderson, ‘Nursery Panels’ (panel 7, ‘Dunes’) (1938), Nursery School, Rangiora High School, Rangiora

Image: Kim Newth for Heritage Matters magazine, Autumn 2011.

Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū - Collection Store

Nursery Panels

The statue depicts Kupe, the legendary Maori discoverer of New Zealand, his wife Hine Te Aparangi and tohunga (ritual expert) Peka-Hourangi. It is the sole remant of a commission for the 1940 New Zealand Centennial Exhibition.

Created out of plaster, the sculpture stood for many years in the entrance hall of the Wellington Railway Station but is now in storage at Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand. In 1999 a replica was cast in bronze and unveiled on the Wellington waterfront in 2000.

Trethewey, William Thomas, 1892-1956. Sculpture by William Trethewey at the Centennial Exhibition, Rongotai, Wellington, depicting Kupe, his wife, and a tohunga. Deste, Eileen, 1909-1986 :Collection of prints and negatives. Ref: 1/2-004298-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. 

Held in storage by Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington.

Kupe Group

A life size figure of a child sitting on a plinth (sandstone) within a pool, frogs seated on the raised perimeter spouting water. The pond is designed to be in easy reach of children.


"In 1950* a bequest of £100 was left to the city by a Thorndon resident MJ Kilgour to be used towards the purchase of a sculpture. Fierce debates between city officials occurred on the definition of fine art and true sculpture versus mere utility. It took sixteen years before Icy Fountain was set in its pool near the Tinakori Road entrance of Wellington Botanic Garden and surrounded by attendant frogs.”
- Source: Wellington Sculpture Trust newsletter, Winter 2000, via 

* This must be a typo: records say the bequest was in 1930.

“The Joy Fountain, installed in 1946, was refurbished by Wellington City Council in 2008 with the support of the Friends of the Wellington Botanic Garden.”

Generations of children (and a few adults) visiting the gardens have discovered that, by placing their finger over the spout in the frogs’ mouths, they can pressurise and direct the flow of water to squirt other people, with much ensuing delight. The polished backs of the frogs evidence the tactile appeal of this work.

Alex Fraser, 'Joy Fountain', 1946, Botanic Gardens, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington.

Image: Bronwyn Holloway-Smith, Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024.

Botanic Gardens, (near Glenmore St entrance), Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington

Joy Fountain

"Donated to the library by the late Rodney Kennedy, a passionate supporter and benefactor of art and artists in Dunedin. Kennedy wished to acknowledge the role of the former City Librarian, Archie Dunningham and his wife Peggy, whose support for young artists in Dunedin during the 1930s and 40s included making exhibition space available at the Library. The work was painted for Kennedy and is the third in an 'Otago Peninsula' series painted by McCahon between 1946 and 1948. Students still study this painting as a landmark in the development of art in New Zealand." 

Colin McCahon, ‘Otago Peninsula’ (c.1949), Dunedin City Library, CBD, Ōtepoti Dunedin

First floor foyer wall overlooking ground floor, Dunedin City Library, 230 Moray Place, CBD, Ōtepoti Dunedin

Otago Peninsula

 (1885-1951), was commissioned to design this bronze statue of Wendy Darling, the young girl immortalised in J.M.Barrie's story of 

 (1911). However, his studio was destroyed in an air raid during World War II and the work was completed by Gilbert Bayes. The statue was constructed at the works of 

, South Lambeth and shipped to New Zealand freight free aboard the Shaw Savill cargo liner Forsdale. 

The sculpture was unveiled on 9 July 1951 as a memorial to James Ernest Campbell (Hawera mayor 1933-39).

The statue's design is after the style of Sir George Frampton's famous Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, London. Wendy, holding high a lantern, is accompanied by two elves (or gnomes) - one playing a lute, the other a fiddle - four fairies, two hares, a raven, a rooster, a fox, an owl, two hedgehogs, two ducks, two toads, three squirrels and families of rabbits and mice. 

The statue is signed at the base: F V BLUNDSTONE SCULPTOR LONDON 

Plaque at base of Statue: IN MEMORY OF JAMES ERNEST CAMPBELL MAYOR OF HAWERA 1933-39 THIS BRONZE STATUE WAS PRESENTED TO THE CITIZENS OF HAWERA BY HIS WIFE MARION CAMPBELL

Wendy was to be one of Blundstone's final works: he died in 1951.

Ferdinand Victor Blundstone, ‘Wendy Sculpture’ (1951), King Edward Park, Te Hāwera

King Edward Park, near 360 High St, Te Hāwera

Wendy Statue

This mural is composed of thousands of 30mm hexagonal ceramic tiles, secured into frames covered in gold leaf. Martin Roestenburg has painted the tiles with vivid colours (red, blue, yellow, orange and green) – sometimes the colour picks out individual tiles and at other times a representational image is painted continuously across several tiles. This allows for ambiguity between the representation and the surface of the mural.

Christ occupies a red field, while in the corners around the cross are arranged images of Mary and John the Baptist in lower left and right corners, and grids of Biblical symbols, top left and right in fields of blue. A simplified crown of thorns floats above Christ’s head while below his feet is a chalice and wafer representing the Eucharist.

Roestenburg was commissioned to create three works for St Mary’s in Taihape: this work, the figure of the 

 in the wheel window on the front of the church, and the 

The Church is open for visitors everyday, 9:30am - 4pm between October and March. Church services are held at 8am on Sundays evenings.

‘A Centennial Story: St Mary’s Parish Taihape: 1899-1999’

, [Taihape, N.Z. : St. Mary's Parish Centennial Committee, 1999]

Martin Roestenburg, ‘Crucifix’ (1952), St Mary’s Catholic Church, Taihape.
Image: Bronwyn Holloway-Smith, Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand, Sept 2023

Above altar, St Mary’s Catholic Church, 51 Huia St, Taihape

Crucifix

Roestenburg was commissioned to create three works for St Mary’s in Taihape: this work, the 

 above the altar in the main body of the church, and the 

 in the foyer. Roestenburg also created figures for a nativity scene that was set up in the church for Christmas 1957.

The Church is open for visitors everyday, 9:30am - 4pm between October and March. Church services are held at 8am on Sunday mornings.

Martin Roestenburg, ‘Christ on the Cross’, (c.1952), St Mary’s Catholic Church, Taihape

Wheel window, front of St Mary’s Catholic Church, 51 Huia St, Taihape

Crucified Christ

"The subject matter of the mural was the Signing of Magna Carta. Miss White did a year's research on the project and made 100 preliminary sketches, finally doing the actual painting in her own studio on a huge piece of six-ply, 10ft x 12ft. The work is set in a wall of grey brick. This brick is a specialty of Southwell School as the boys make the bricks themselves and their beautiful creeper-covered chapel was constructed with them. The pageantry and richness of colour in the mural conforms with strict historical accuracy. For instance, King John, surprisingly enough, is not a dark saturnine individual, as one usually visualises him, but is of reddish colouring and of a burly build. Actually he did resemble his uncle, William Rufus. Lavender, gold and crimson complement each other in the heraldic canopy, the cloth on the table and the surcoats of the nobles, while the personal banners of the barons who are known to have been present at the signing are authentic. The portraiture of Archbishop Langton's face is really remarkable." (

An information panel next to the work in situ reads:

"This mural hangs in the Southwell School dining room above the fireplace. / When Elam School of Art was burned down in the early 50’s, the admirers of their work sympathised with the artists who had lost so much. Dr and Mrs E.T. Rogers of Hamilton decided to help them by commissioning them to paint a mural representing a subject which would interest young people. Eventually Miss Lois White was selected as the artist to undertake this colossal task and the subject was to be the signing of the Magna Carta. / After two years work in research and more than two hundred preliminary drawings that task was completed.
In 1953 Dr and Mrs Rogers made the gift of the Magna Carta to the Headmaster as a token of what Southwell is doing for so many boys. / The mural remains a valuable asset for Southwell School."


Source: Southwell Room School Magazines 1952

A. Lois White, ‘Magna Carta Mural’ (1951), Refectory, Southwell School, Kirikiriroa Hamilton

Images: Bronwyn Holloway-Smith, Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand, 2022

Refectory of Southwell School, 200 Peachgrove Rd, Claudelands, Kirikiriroa Hamilton

Magna Carta

"Pania - one of Napier’s most visited attractions.

Pania was a beautiful maiden who lived in the sea. By daylight she swam about with other sea creatures but after sunset would go to a stream that ran into the bay where the city of Napier now sits.

Karitoki, the handsome son of a Maori chief, met Pania at this stream. He had never seen someone so beautiful and instantly fell in love. Pania fell in love also, and they pledged their lives to each other and were secretly married. Pania and Karitoki went to his whare (house), and at sunrise Pania prepared to leave but Karitoki tried to stop her. She explained that as a creature of the ocean, when the sirens of the sea called her each morning, she could not survive if she did not go to them. She promised to return every evening and their marriage continued on that basis.

Karitoki boasted to his friends about his beautiful wife, but no one believed him because they had never seen her. Frustrated by this, Karitoki consulted a kaumatua (wise elder). The kaumatua told Karitoki that being a sea creature, Pania would not be allowed to return to the sea if she swallowed cooked food.

That night, as Pania slept, Karitoki took a morsel of cooked food and put it in Pania's mouth. As he did so, Ruru the morepork (owl) called a loud warning and Pania awoke. Horrified that Karitoki had put her life in jeopardy, Pania fled to the sea. Her people came to the surface and drew her down into the depths. Karitoki never saw her again.

When people now look deep into the water over the reef, some say they can see Pania with arms outstretched, appealing to her former lover. It is unknown whether she is imploring him to explain his treachery, or expressing her continuing love. The sea off Napier is now protected by Moremore, the son of Pania and Karitoki. He is the kaitiaki (guardian) of the area, a taniwha (spirit) who often disguises himself as a shark, a stingray or an octopus.

A 1.5 metre statue of Pania was unveiled at Napier's Marine Parade on 10 June 1954 by then Prime Minister Sidney Holland.

The statue was commissioned by members of the Thirty Thousand Club after the Anglican Bishop of Aotearoa, Frederick Augustus Bennett, related the legend of Pania to them. Several students from Hukarere Girls College were photographed as models for the statue, and eventually, Mei Irihapiti Robin (now Mei Whaitiri), was selected. A clay likeness of the photograph of Mei and an actual traditional Piupiu skirt were made by the Italian Marble Company of Carrara in Carrara, Italy. The clay model was then used to produce the bronze statue.

The statue has often been compared to the The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen; there is a resemblance between the two figures, both statues are small, bronze, and near the ocean, and both are based on similar stories."

Hawke's Bay Food and Wine Country | Pania of the Reef

Photographs of the sculpture being made can be viewed at 

'Pania of the Reef' (1954). Marine Parade, Ahuriri Napier.

Image: Bronwyn Holloway-Smith, Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand, 2022

Pania of the Reef

This bas-relief panel set into a stone wall features multiple scenes of Māori and early European settlers, including depictions of Mount Pirongia and Mount Kakepuku, the Tainui canoe, the palisades of the Otawhao Pā which stood on the high ground now occupied by Wallace Terrace, and the carved whare runanga, Maketu House. The right hand of the panel shows ears of wheat, a staple food of the Europeans which was grown exclusively in the Te Awamutu district between 1840-1864, a church and European-style buildings.

The panel was cast in marble concrete from a clay relief model created by Barbara Packwood (Auckland) based on a design by Yvonne Rust.

Packwood was an arts teacher at Auckland Girls Grammar School, and is said to be the only girl to have gained a Fine Arts diploma in sculpture from the Canterbury College School of Art at the time.

In the book, Yvonne Rust QSM: Maverick Spirit, Theresa Sjoquist suggests this work was the result of a contract that Yvonne Rust won in late 1954. Offered £84 to complete the work Yvonne returned half this sum as “a personal contribution to the monument.” Begun on 1 December 1954, the clay work was completed by 2 February 1955, in time for the opening of the park.

"This historical panel represents the merger in the Waipā District of the Maori and Pakeha ways of life. The left side of the panel depicts the Maori way of life from the time of the landing of the Tainui canoe. European history is represented by the figures on the right. The central allegorical figure represents the future supported on either side by a Maori and a Pakeha.”

‘History of District told in panel at Memorial Park’, Te Awamutu Courier. N.D.

Yvonne Rust & Barbara Packwood, Untitled [Waipā District War Memorial Park] (1955), Te Awamutu

Image: Bronwyn Holloway-Smith, Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand, Sept 2023.

Waipā District War Memorial Park, 659 Mutu St, Te Awamutu

Untitled [Waipā District War Memorial Park]

"These sculptures consist of four bas-relief panels that are representations of the four sciences named. They are cast in 'ciment fondu', a highly durable French cement."

Otago Sculpture Trails: University of Otago Walk

 (published by the Otago Sculpture Trust, Oct 2007).

Fred Staub, ‘To the Biological Sciences, to the Dental Sciences, to the Physical Sciences, to the Medical Sciences’ (1955), University of Otago, North Dunedin, Ōtepoti Dunedin

On the facade facing Frederick Street, School of Dentistry, cnr Frederick & Great King Sts, Main Campus, University of Otago, North Dunedin, Ōtepoti Dunedin

To The Biological Sciences, to the Dental Sciences, to the Physical Sciences, to the Medical Sciences

A monument with walls, steps, and a surrounding asphalt surface. A foundation stone reads: "At the beginning of the Dominion's Second Century this monument is dedicated to the memory of the pioneers who braved the first. Foundation stone laid by His Worship The Mayor of Dunedin A.H.Allen Esq. 21st February 1940". 

Two bronze allegorical figures flank this memorial: the ancient bearded figure, facing north-west, represents 'Old Man History,' while the female figure, facing south-east toward the sea, represents 'The Thread of Life.' The monument is faced with limestone and marble. Carved reliefs, in marble, are also installed on the monument: one of thistle and one of fern.

“Works by Fred [Staub] are spread across the city of Dunedin; the iconic ‘History’ and ‘The Thread of Life’ sculptures perched on Signal Hill, were designed by the then elderly Lancastrian sculptor, Francis Aubrey Sturrock, who had previously been Fred Staub’s art teacher. Although a joint effort, it was through Fred’s substantial input that the works were realized because the construction of the figures was a complex business, requiring models of the statues to be scaled up from half-size to full-size, and these then dispatched to England to be cast in bronze. Both men’s names appear on the finished monuments that are now enjoyed by the citizens of the attractive City of Dunedin, and visitors and tourists too.”

Francis Shurrock with Fred Staub, ‘Otago Centennial Memorial’ (1952-55), Signal Hill Reserve, Ōtepoti Dunedin

Signal Hill Lookout, adjacent to car park, Signal Hill Road, Signal Hill Reserve, Ōtepoti Dunedin

Otago Centennial Memorial

Guy Ngan, ‘Untitled [Bledisloe House Frieze]’ (1956) [south-east corner], CBD, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

Images: Aerialsmiths, courtesy of Auckland Council, 2019, edited by Bronwyn Holloway-Smith

Penthouse Frieze on Bledisloe State Building, Bledisloe Lane, CBD, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

Untitled [Bledisloe House Frieze]

This fountain sculpture comprises two dolphins and a Neptune head with fish-fin hair and seashell ears. Originally built in front of the Wellington City Council's Municipal Offices Building in 1956, the fountain has been moved twice: once during the redevelopment of Civic Square c.1990, and a second time in 2008 to make way for construction, eventually reinstated in 2012. It was removed and put in storage in 2023 during further redevelopment works to Civic Square and the Wellington Central Library.

A plaque that was originally on the rear of the fountain is also installed with the work. It reads:

"THE GIFT OF THE LATE DAVID JOHN GIBBS D.S.O.
ON BECOMING SOLDIERS WE HAVE NOT CEASED TO BE CITIZENS
A GIFT IS AS A PRECIOUS STONE IN THE EYES OF HIM THAT HATH IT”

THE GARGOYLES AND THIS PLAQUE HAVE BEEN RELOCATED HERE FROM THEIR ORIGINAL POSITION IN FRONT OF THE MUNICIPAL OFFICE BUILDING TO THE TERRA COTTA GARDEN POOL AREA AS PART OF THE CIVIC CENTRE REDEVELOPMENT DECEMBER 1991”

The Wellington City Council Coat of Arms is also featured, although the moa’s head seems to have disappeared.

David John Gibbs (1883-1946) was a Wellington-born officer in the New Zealand Army. He served in WWI as a Field Engineer, and was initially posted to Samoa, but later joined the great war in Europe. He was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) by the British military in 1918 for distinguished service in the field in France and Flanders, and gained several other medals and awards. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel/Military.

It is clear that Jim Allen was involved in early design stages for the fountain, and submitted a design and cost estimate in 1953. The dolphins and centrepiece were initially cast in concrete, but Allen was unhappy with the results, suggesting they be cast in bronze. It is unclear what happened from this point onwards, and whether Allen completed the final works, therefore we have listed the authorship as ‘Jim Allen (presumed)’ until further information comes to light.

Thanks to Gavin Kane for assisting with this research.

Gibbs Memorial Fountain | Wellington City Libraries

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