New Zealand

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Wellington
Wellington

Taranaki Street Wharf

Kupe Raiatea

Kupe Raiatea, Hine-te-aparangi & Pekahourangi
10th century
Polynesian discoverers of New Zealand
(Wikipedia)
William Trethewey
1939/2000

Wellington /  Kupe Raiatea   Wellington /  Kupe Raiatea

Description

Bronze group of statues, showing Kupe Raiatea, the Explorer, his wife Hine-te-aparangi and Pekahourangi, the tohunga, at the moment of sighting Aotearoa New Zealand from their canoe Matahourua.

Inscription(s)

MATAHOURUA TE WAKA, KO KUPE TE TANGATA,
KO HINE TE APARANGI TE WAHINE

kupe raiatea the explorer, his wife hine te aparangi,
and pekahourangi the tohunga,
sight aotearoa, new zealand
from their canoe matahourua.

this kupe group statue was created in plaster of paris
by sculptor, william trethewey,
and featured at the 1940 nz centennial exhibition at rongotai.
in 1999 the statue was cast in bronze as a millennium project and
unveiled on 4 march 2000
as a tribute to all who have come to these shores.

On the granite pedestal:

the casting of the kupe group statue
and its siting here was made possible
by generous donations from:

Jack and Emma Griffin Charitable Trust
Lotteries Grants Board (Millenium Trust)
Lambton City Community Grants
Trethewey Granite & Marble Ltd.
Community Trust of Wellington
Wellington Show Association

the kupe group charitable trust
Rex Nicholls (Chair)Mayor Mark Blumsky
David GascoigneDr Ngatata Love
Ray MatthewsBruce Trethewey

Signature

w trethewey 39.

Annotation

The bronze Kupe Group Statue was originally designed in 1939 by Trethewey for the 1940 New Zealand Centennial Exhibition held at Rongotai, Wellington. It was originally created in plaster and finished with bronze paint. Following the exhibition, the statue sat for 40 years at the Wellington Railway Station and ten at the Wellington Show and Sports Centre before being stored at the Te Papa, the national museum in 1997, as a national treasure. Subsequently, the Kupe Group Trust successfully fundraised to have the statue cast in bronze and given a permanent location on the waterfront in 2000. It was unveiled on 4 March 2000 as a tribute to all who have come to these shores.

Wellington - Kupe Raiatea

Sculptor

Sources & Information

Tags

Locatie (S 41°17'19" - E 174°46'48") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: nz024; Photograph: 11 February 2008
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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