William Wakefield Memorial facts for kids
The William Wakefield Memorial in 2012
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| Coordinates | 41°18′02″S 174°46′53″E / 41.30063°S 174.78129°E |
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| Location | Basin Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Completion date | 1882 |
| Dedicated to | William Wakefield |
| Official name: William Wakefield Memorial | |
| Designated: | 22 June 2007 |
| Reference #: | 1441 |
The William Wakefield Memorial is a special monument in New Zealand. It remembers one of the first European settlers. People ordered it in 1850, after William Wakefield died. He was an important leader for the New Zealand Company. The memorial was not put up until 1882. It was quite rare to build memorials for settlers back then. It was first placed at the Basin Reserve, a main cricket ground in Wellington. Later, it moved to outside the cricket ground. In 2006, the Wellington City Council fixed it up. They placed it back near its first spot.
Contents
The Story of the William Wakefield Memorial
Who Was William Wakefield?
William Wakefield came to New Zealand in 1839. He worked as a main agent for the New Zealand Company. Many people saw him as Wellington's first leader. When he passed away in 1848, his friends wanted to honor him. They collected money to order a memorial from England. Sources say this happened around 1850 or a bit later.
Why Was the Memorial Delayed?
The New Zealand Company's reputation became less popular. Because of this, the memorial was not set up right away. It stayed in storage for many years. In 1876, another early Wellington settler, William Barnard Rhodes, helped. He gave £50 to help install the memorial.
Finding a Home for the Memorial
In March 1882, the Wellington City Council decided to act. A committee asked the City Surveyor to find a good place for the memorial. The structure was shown to the public for a short time. Soon after, the committee agreed to put it at the Basin Reserve. In 1886, a drinking fountain was added. William Barnard Rhodes had first suggested this idea.
Changes and Challenges Over Time
The cricket grounds were updated in 1917. As part of these changes, the William Wakefield Memorial was moved. It went to an area just outside the grounds. The drinking fountain stopped working in the 1940s. The memorial slowly got damaged and suffered from vandalism. By 1968, some people thought it was "beyond repair." The drinking fountain was taken away in the 1980s.
Bringing the Memorial Back to Life
In 2004, the Wellington City Council decided to restore the memorial. They put money aside in their budget for this work. The restoration happened in 2006. This project included moving the memorial close to its original place. It also involved making the structure stronger. The drinking fountain was even put back in place.
