Story: Whanganui places
In 1995, Whanganui Māori occupied Moutoa Gardens (Pākaitore) for 79 days as a protest over land loss. Tents were set up and John Ballance’s statue’s head disappeared, to be replaced by a pumpkin. In 2008 the tents, the protesters and the pumpkin were long gone, and so was the rest of the statue – except its base.
About this item
Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PAColl-7327)
Reference: EP/1995/0789/15a
Photograph by Phil Reid
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.