Story: Anniversaries

Mural in the Wellington Centennial Memorial (2nd of 4)

Mural in the Wellington Centennial Memorial

The Wellington Provincial Centennial Memorial was a small building on Petone foreshore, built close to the spot where the original New Zealand Company settlers landed in 1840. The front of the building featured the bow of the Aurora, the first ship carrying the settlers, which arrived on 22 January 1840 – the day subsequently celebrated as Wellington Anniversary Day. Inside the entrance of the building were eight murals by the prominent Irish-born muralist, Jim Turkington. They portrayed the meeting of the settlers with local Māori (left panel) and the major historical changes since then, such as the felling of the forests and building of houses (right panel). The murals were painted over in the 1970s and the images seen here were lovingly restored from photographs of the originals.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Jock Phillips

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How to cite this page:

Jock Phillips, 'Anniversaries - New Zealand’s centennial, 1940', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/43019/mural-in-the-wellington-centennial-memorial (accessed 4 May 2024)

Story by Jock Phillips, published 20 Jun 2012