38 Wellington Public Artworks Added To National Register Of 20th Century Public Art

Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand (PAHANZ) has added a further 38 works from throughout Wellington City to its website https://PublicArt.nz, an online register of New Zealand’s 20th Century Public Art.

PAHANZ, a research initiative operating as a Charitable Trust, was established to find, document, and protect what remains of Aotearoa’s 20th Century public art (works made and installed in public spaces between 1900 – 1999).

Sue Elliott, co-director of PAHANZ said “many of these works have been destroyed, covered over, or simply lost. Others remain undocumented and at risk due to a lack of public knowledge of their significance and value. Our website is New Zealand’s first national register of these cultural treasures; launched with 380 works in mid-2023.

“Thanks to funding from Wellington City Council’s Public Art Panel, we have researched a further 38 works for uploading. These works were prioritised to reflect works that were at risk; those that were likely to gain category 1 & 2 significance from our independent assessment panel; and those that increased the diversity of artists already represented on the database,” she said.

The database can be searched by a number of factors including: the artwork, the artist, its location and date or medium.

The 38 Wellington works include works by public art heroes such as: Jim Allen; Tanya Ashken; Roy Cowan; Gordon Crook; Neil Dawsom; Robert Jahnke; Robyn Kahukiwa; Molly Macalister; Milan Mrkusich; Beverley Shore Bennett; Lyndon Smith; Rewi Thompson; Cliff Whiting, and many others.

And, they can be found dotted about the city in: The CBD; Botanic Gardens; Oriental Bay; Evans Bay; the National War Memorial; the High Court and the Civic Square precinct.

Among them are four works that are in storage: Jim Allen’s ‘Copper Crystals’ (1965) formerly of ICI House on Molesworth Street; Philip Trusttum’s ‘Northern Lights’ (1987), formerly on The Terrace; Roy Cowan’s abstract mural for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (1971); and Lyndon Smith’s, ‘Mother-and-children group’ (1964), which is currently inaccessible due to building strengthening work.

Four works that face an uncertain future are similarly listed: one in Te Ngākau Civic Square (Rewi Thompson’s ‘Te Aho A Maui’ (1991)); and three in the Michael Fowler Centre (Gordon Crook’s ‘Banners’; and ‘Wall Hangings’; and Jock McEwen et al’s two Pou (1983)).

Co-director, Bronwyn Holloway-Smith said: “The uploading of these works in Wellington has proved to be particularly timely given the spotlight on Civic Square and the Michael Fowler Centre with the proposed Te Ngākau redevelopment.

“By documenting, promoting, and seeking protections for Aotearoa New Zealand’s 20th century public art we are highlighting the value of these creative contributions to public space, and raising awareness about the stories they embody to ensure this important aspect of our culture is accessible to future generations.”

With 424 works now listed on the website, PAHANZ still has much to do, with a further 800 works to be researched that are lost/hidden/destroyed, or whose current status is not confirmed. These include 66 Wellington works yet to be audited and 41 lost/hidden/destroyed works.

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