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  • A tall dark patinated bronze sculpture, somewhat resembling a cloaked woman, stands in the centre of a lawn in tree filled suburban park - a man on the bench to the left reads a book, another walks by glancing at the sculpture
  • A close up of the blue patina of bronze sculpture
  • A tall blue patinated bronze sculpture, somewhat resembling a cloaked woman, stands in the centre of a lawn in tree filled suburban park
  • A tall blue patinated bronze sculpture, somewhat resembling a cloaked woman, stands in the centre of a lawn in tree filled suburban park
  • A tall dark patinated bronze sculpture, somewhat resembling a cloaked woman, stands in the centre of a lawn in tree filled suburban park - a man on the bench to the left reads a book, another walks by glancing at the sculpture
Ōwairaka by Christine Hellyar
Christine Hellyar

Ōwairaka

"He whakanui tēnei tārai i ngā mahi a ngā wāhine i mahi rā hei painga mō te hapori … This sculpture is a tribute to the women of the Ōwairaka / Mount Albert communities. "

Artwork details

Production date

Medium

Dimensions

Credit line

Description

This striking 3.6m tall cast bronze sculpture has a strong and evocative presence in the Alice Wylie Reserve. Surrounded by a small outcrop of volcanic rock, it stands near the gently curving path between Burch Street and New North Road, Ōwairaka Mount Albert.

To mark the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote in Aotearoa/New Zealand in 1993, the Mount Albert Women's Memorial Committee approached artist Christine Hellyar to create a bronze sculpture in recognition of the women of Mount Albert. Hellyar cast the original sculpture on site at Alice Wylie Reserve, digging a sand mould and adding vegetation and a large basalt rock. The process created a richly textured surface.

After the 1993 statue was damaged beyond repair in May 2022, Hellyar was commissioned by Auckland Council to create a replacement. The remains of the original sculpture were scanned to create a digital model which was used to make the mould for a new casting.

Ōwairaka 2024, is anchored in basalt rock, connecting the sculpture to the volcanic rock underneath and the area's long history. Ōwairaka / Mount Albert erupted 120,000 years ago.

Location

Alice Wylie Reserve, Mount Albert

Artwork location on the map

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