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Within the Garden are a number of works of art. These
are well worth visiting.
For the
location of items within the Garden, check the Location map - click. Map
numbering
refers
to
the
text
on
this
page.
This walk can be taken on its own, or incorporated into other
exploration of this Garden
From Cable Car, proceed down East Path to the Met Office junction.
There the first path is William Wakefield Way, take the next on the
left which is Manuka Way, or the third which is the Norwood Path. East
Way exits on to Salamanca Road.
From the Begonia House,the easiest way is to take Serpentine Way at
the rear of the Begonia
House. At the Junction turn right to the Herb Garden, then return to
the Junction Landing. Walk uphill, up Remembrance Ridge. By the Met
Office, turn left down Norwood Path. This route is uphill, and the
Norwood Path is quite steep for the return downhill to the Begonia
House.
From the Rose Garden you can go directly up to the Herb Garden via the
zig zag path, which has a few steps, past the new Green Island
Sculptures. From there go past the Lion Head to Junction Path and
the remainder of the tour.
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The Wellington
Sculpture Trust, (web site http://www.sculpture.org.nz/
from which some sculpture information has been
obtained)
a
registered
charitable
trust,
has
installed
a number of significant
art works in the Garden. In addition there are several separately
installed other works. The works are (with artists statements where
available):-
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1
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Norwood Memorial Sculpture
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A Verse of
Remembrance
We
can't feel saddened over the loss of those we love
without
first
remembering
the
joy
of
having
loved
them.
The
real
sadness
would
have
been
never
having
had
them
in
our
lives
at
all
Remembering
is
a
journey
the
heart
takes,
back
into
a
time
that
was
and
our
thoughts
are
the
only
tickets
needed
to
ride
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A
poem read at
the dedication of the Norwood Memorial
(Author unknown)
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Rasa Leela (Dance of Life)
Norwood Memorial Sculpture
Three
generations of the Norwood family have been generous benefactors to
the botanic garden.
This
sculpture is a memorial to the second generation, Sir Walter and Lady
Rana (whose ashes are buried here), erected by their children in 2001.
De
Boer’s large
bronze casting is an enlargement of a small sculpture with a dancer
theme by Bob Bennett, which Lady Rana Norwood had acquired. For the
Norwood family, its stylish elegance
perfectly memorialises their parents.
Californian
twins
Bob
and
Tom
Bennett
developed
their
sleek,
fluid
style
of
bronze
sculpture
in
the 1970's, after a few years of tinkering with
metalwork in the back of their service station. By the 1980's
their work was being sold in Bennett Art Galleries throughout the
United States of America, including Honolulu, where Lady Norwood
acquired her piece.
De Boer, an Auckland-based sculptor, is also
known for his wooden and cast-concrete pieces.
Artist:
Bob Bennett (1939-2003)
Casting: Andrew de Boer (b.1960)
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2 Hiroshima - Nagasaki
Peace Flame
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Peace Pool tablet
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In 1994 this Hiroshima - Nagasaki Peace Flame was installed here in the
lantern which originally (1975) stood in wetlands area near the Duck
Pond .
The flame was presented by the City of Hiroshima .
In 1997 a 200 kg stone from the Old City Hall of Hiroshima was placed
here .
Also in the pond is a concrete tablet with an extract of `No Ordinary
Sun` by Hone Tuwhare .
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| Peace Flame and plaque |
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| Hiroshima stone and plaque |
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3
Rose
Garden
Fountain
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Rose Garden Fountain
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This 100+ year old Bronze statue fountain was given by the Norwood
family in 1977 to replace the fountain placed here in 1956 .
It originally stood outside a bank in London and came here via Australia
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4
Green
Island
Sculptures
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Scuptures viewed from Herb Garden lookout
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The Four
Plinths Temporary Sculpture Trust Project operates to select and install a new work on or around the four
plinths located between the national
museum Te Papa and the Circa Theatre every two years. The opening forms part of the International
Festival of the Arts which takes place in Wellington over three weeks
in February and March in even number years (2010, 2012 etc).
The selected work stays on the plinths for up to 22
months,
then removed to make way for its successor. The
committee undertakes a selection process which normally commences soon
after a new work is installed. The selected artist currently receives
$25,000 to fabricate and install the work. The work remains in the
ownership of the artist and may be sold at the end of its time on the
plinths.
The first of
the Four Plinths sculptures is Green Islands
by Regan Gentry. It was installed before the 2008 International
Festival of the Arts and will remain in place until early 2010.
The
work is the result of Gentry's first visit to the site when he was
struck by the absence of natural vegetation. With each plinth providing
an island for “greenery” Gentry has ironically introduced plants to the
area, creating replica trees and other flora commonly found around
Wellington out of the ever-popular number 8 fencing wire.
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Sculpture detail
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The sculptures, consisting of native tree
look-a-likes (flax, cabbage tree, pohutukawa and toetoe) are made of 20 km of No. 8 fencing wire, 20,000 stainless
steel
staples,
galvanised
pipes
and
plates.
They were moved
to
a
permanent
site
near the
Lady Norwood Rose Garden in the Botanic Garden in January 2010. The Botanic Garden is
providing the site and the foundations, with the
cost of the artwork met by private donors.
Green
Islands
has
become one of Wellington's most popular sculpture
landmarks and its many admirers will be able to
continue to see it on the Western slope above the Rose
Garden. The donors are the Sir Walter and Lady Rana
Norwood Charitable Trust, Janet McCallum and the Richard Nelson
Trust, all in association with the Wellington Sculpture Trust.
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Artist Regan Gentry in the Garden at the installation of the artwork
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Regan
Gentry was born in Napier in 1976 and educated at Havelock North High
School. He dabbled at Victoria University then sunk his teeth into
sculpture at Otago Polytechnic School of Fine Art, graduating in 2000.
As the William Hodges Artist in Residence (2006), he began his first
major project Of Gorse of Course now owned by (the) Phil Price and
Connells Bay Sculpture Trust.
He was the winner of the Wellington Sculpture Trust's first Four
Plinths sculpture project (2007) and his 2007 Tylee Cottage Residency
project is based on the Bridge to Nowhere valley.
His latest public sculpture commission is Flour Power in Christchurch
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page
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5
Herb Garden
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Lion Head Fountain on far wall
in Herb Garden
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Another sun dial and bricks and bricks. 40 000
bricks collected from the chimneys of houses demolished to make way for
the Chinese Embassy in Glenmore St . were used to develop this Herb
Garden .
The Lion
Head fountain was hand
carved in natural stone by Mr. Methan of Petone
(1980) .
The sun dial close to the fountain was presented by The Herb Society
(1975). It has a stone plinth of Takaka marble and inscribed in the
bronze face the words 'The light of the Sun is Reflected in the Glory
of the Earth'
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6. Peacemaker
Sculpture
by Chris Booth on Manuka Way erected in
1991.
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Peacemaker
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"The basalt boulders that comprise Peacemaker were collected from
Paikoa, near MatauriBay, Northland in 1989. These were part of a number of boulders used
for the Gateway Sculpture in Auckland City Art Gallery commission,
Albert Park Auckland, and the Rainbow Warrior memorial sculpture, Ngati
Kura/NZ China Clays Limited commission Matauri Bay Northland. All
boulders were selected with the permission and necessary customary
rituals of Ngati Kura and also permission from the Department of
Conservation and adjoining landowners.
The three sculptures embody my profound thought about our planet and
its inhabitants. Peacemaker particularly attempts to communicate the
choice of being peaceful among human beings. The transmitter/receiver
like quality of the sculpture communicates this message (note how it
fits in with the transmitter receivers of the meteorological station
nearby). The fact that birds can drink and bathe in the spring-like
fountain grounds any feelings towards the sculpture and adds to the
message of peace."
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7 Listening and Viewing Device
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Listening Device
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Sculpture by Andrew Drummond on Druid Hill was
presented to the
City in 1993.
The artist notes "I call it a device so I'm not mystifying it at all.
It is a device for viewing and listening. You can grab hold of it, you
can get inside it and look up it. You can move it round. I'm interested
in all these relationships."
The four white columns with the large inverted cone made from copper
piping look like a temple standing among the pine trees . Climb up to
it and you will see the signs of more violent activity when the strong
winds have blown causing it to swing around .
Another Andrew Drummond sculpture is the `Tower of Light` in Cobham
Drive .
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8 Rudderstone
sculpture by Denis O'Connor on Manuka Way
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Rudderstone rear view with
coloured marble
Fosselised marble as originally installed on path face in 1997
Removed in 2006 because of deterioration of material.
Replaced with plain black marble on path side,
reflective as seen in photo below.
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"The void of the doorway is in a rudder formation and symbolically
memorialises our migrant cultures. A rudder is a guiding principle, a
device that steers us on our joinery. To ritually walk through this
rudder image engages the body in a metaphor for the journey that the
New World we live in challenges us to take. Rudderstone is to be walked
or passed through.
The millions of exploding fossilised creatures vividly trapped in the
black marble are a visual experience not unlike the view of the night
sky. This marble confirms that metaphor of passage to another realm and
its high polish reflects the image of those who stand in front of it.
The vivid blue and white stripes of the revers side are abstracted
panoramic streams of sea and sky so familiar to the mind's eye. The
turquoise blue Azul marble from Brazil and the crisp laundered while of
the Carrara marble from Italy glow luminously in this position where
direct sunlight is quite filtered."
The fosselised marble was replaced in 2006 with black marble because of
crumbling of the original material.
Ensure you walk through the
opening for a different view!
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9 Body to Soul
Sculpture by Mary-Louise
Browne, erected on Norwood Path in 1996.
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Body to Soul
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L
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SOUL |
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U
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SOUR |
R |
O
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SOAR |
A
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A
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SEAR |
E
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R
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SEER |
E
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E
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SEED |
D
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S
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SEND |
N
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E
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BEND |
B
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D
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BOND |
O
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N
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BONY |
Y
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BODY |
D
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Body to Soul steps with
changing words
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This black granite staircase is designed to follow the natural incline
of the site and provide a means for the viewer to climb to a grove of
beautiful evergreens on the boundary of the Botanic Garden and
Salamanca Road.
The thirteen steps are engraved with a word sequence from BODY to SOUL.
The words change one letter at a time in a pattern with the letters
grouped; as a letter changes It has been suggested that the letters
form part of the name of two
roses from the rose garden, although the artist has recently denied
this.
"As the medieval alchemist strove to transmute base metals such as lead
into gold in the hope of making fortunes for
themselves and their patrons, so does an artist. Although no alchemist
succeeded with precious metals, it is possible to transmute words
easily enough.
Although the staircase will be reminiscent of memorials, and there is
an obvious allusion to mortality and an afterlife, on this site it is
positioned as an invitation to climb and to read. Visitors who make the
climb are prompted to think about the balance of imbalance between
psyche and nature. Without death there is no life. Without shadow there
is no sunlight. The intention is to create an atmosphere intensified by
the placement of text, to remind the viewer of the power of nature and
the transitory quality of life, that 'all things must pass'"
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10 Bronze Form
Sculpture
by Henry Moore on the Salamanca
Lawn.
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Henry Moore "Bronze Form"
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Presented by Fletcher Challenge in 1988, and moved from Midland Park to
its present site in 1995.
"In the early 1980's Moore developed an opened out three part
sculpture, where an internal 'profile form' became the central figure
in Figure in a Shelter. He later decided that the Bronze Form of Figure
in a Shelter was a piece that could be totally independent and could
stand in its won right. There were six cast, Wellington's is No. 4"
The City's acquisition of New Zealand's only public Henry Moore, Bronze
Form, was a joint venture between the Wellington Sculpture Trust,
Fletcher Challenge Corporation and the Wellington City Council. The
Mayor, the head of Fletcher Challenge Sir Ron Trotter and the Trust
agreed to collaborate to obtain a Henry Moore for the city. Dr Ian
Prior, deputy chairman of the Sculpture Trust, visited Henry Moore in
England in 1987 and arranged for the city to purchase Bronze Form. The
Trust also arranged for the transport of the work to New Zealand with
the assistance of the New Zealand Shipping Corporation, and other
logistic matters. Fletcher Challenge agreed to meet the purchase price
of $NZ1 million, supported by an offsetting arrangement with the City
Council under the City's Art Bonus scheme. The Council with help from
the Henry Moore Foundation installed the work and assumed ownership and
responsibility for future maintenance.
Bronze Form was placed in Midland Park in the centre of the city in
1988, then moved to its present site in 1995.
"Henry Moore (1898 - 1986) was one of the outstanding sculptors of the
20th century. His work has had a strong influence on contemporary
figural sculpture.
"The most important and lasting influence on Moore's work was the world
of nature. 'The human figure', he wrote, 'is what interests me most
deeply, but I have found principles of form and rhythm from the study
of natural objects, such as pebbles, rocks, bones, trees, plants.'
(Information from the Sculpture Trust)
Accessed from the Norwood Path
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11
Joy Fountain
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Joy Fountain in Main Garden with children playing with
bronze frogs
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Located
in
the
Main
Garden.
Unveiled in 1946, Joy was 16 years in the making. The cost escalated
from £120 to £520.
Designed by Mr. Alex Fraser the original was made from Hinuera
stone.
Over the years this soft stone deteriorated, and in 2009
it was remade with reconstituted marble. The original
frogs, popular with generations of small children, where recast
in bronze. The refurbishment was part funded by the Friends of
the Garden
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12
"The Bee Lady" was
displayed
in
Civic
Square
as
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The Bee Lady
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part
of
a
Wellington
Festival
of
the
Arts,
and
was donated to the city by an anonymous benefactor.
The sculptor, Alison Clouston, is also a bee-keeper. She was born in
Wellington and brought up in Glenmore Street, opposite the Botanic
Garden. She now lives in New South Wales.
"The Bee Lady" was carved out of an Australian Eucalyptus that was
blown down in a storm in the Blue Mountains (west of Sydney). She holds
a bee-smoker in her powerful and gnarly hand. Her blue eyes gaze out
through the wire gauze of her bee veil. Bees, carved out of her form,
cluster on her dress and also cling to her bonnet. Brilliant yellow
pigment, mixed with beeswax from Alison's own hives, colour her dress
and the bees' abdomens.
It can be seen on the Treehouse balcony.
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13 "Old
Man
Wellington"
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In
Children's Main Playground
Carved from the trunk of
one of
the
old pines that had to be removed for safety reasons.
Official name given by children in a naming competition
Erected 2007
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Location Map
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MAP SHOWING LOCATION
OF MAIN ITEMS
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Top of page
NOTE:
Norwood Path rises steeply from the Begonia House, and is best walked
downhill.
The walk down Manuka Way and
Remembrance Ridge is a peaceful contemplative walk and provides an
alternative to the main Downhill Walk from the Cable Car. (From the
Cable Car lookout proceed down East Way to the Met Office corner to
Manuka Way)
From the Begonia
House, up Serpentine Way and down Norwood Path is the
easiest contour.
If you do not mind a short
uphill walk with some steps you can go from the Rose Garden up the zig
zag path direct to the Herb Garden passing the Green Island
sculptures.
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