Story: East Coast places

James Cook: memorial on Kaiti Hill (3rd of 5)

James Cook: memorial on Kaiti Hill

‘Cook’ looks suitably naval, as befits a ship’s captain, in this statue which stood for 50 years on Kaiti Hill, overlooking Gisborne. Erected to commemorate the bicentenary of his visit, in 1969, it is in fact an imposter. It is a bronze casting of a marble statue imported from Italy by Captain Cook Breweries in Auckland, and is not a likeness of Cook. In 2019 the ‘crook Cook’ was taken down from his pedestal and placed in storage at Tairāwhiti Museum.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Janine Faulknor

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How to cite this page:

Monty Soutar, 'East Coast places - Gisborne', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/33514/james-cook-memorial-on-kaiti-hill (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Monty Soutar, updated 1 Mar 2015