Lake_Virginia_(Manawatū-Whanganui)

Rotokawau Virginia Lake

Rotokawau Virginia Lake

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Rotokawau Virginia Lake is a lake in the city of Whanganui in the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated in the suburb of St Johns Hill in the north of the city.

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The lake was called Virginia Lake for many years but in 2016 the Whanganui District Council voted to rename it Rotokawau Virginia Lake.[1] Rotokawau is the Māori name for the lake of the black shag.[1]

There are a number of attractions at the lake and surrounding reserve: the Higginbottom Fountain, winter garden in an Art Deco conservatory and a statue of Tainui.[2] Tainui was the daughter of a local chief, and the statue was sculpted by local sculptor Joan Morrell. In 2022 it was moved within the reserve to a site closer to the lake.[3][4]

A waka maumahara (memorial canoe) built of Corten steel and decorated by artist Cecelia Kumeroa was unveiled in 2020.[5] It replaced an older canoe which was erected in memory of Pura McGregor, a Whanganui community leader and first Māori woman recipient of an MBE.[5]

A statue of children's story character Peter Pan is also located close to the lake. Sculpted by Cecil Thomas and unveiled in 1967, it is a variant of the sculptor's 1965 sculpture in Dunedin Botanic Gardens.

References

  1. [1]
    Wilson, Zaryd (10 March 2016). "'Rotokawau' now part of lake's name". NZ Herald. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  2. [2]
    "Rotokawau Virginia Lake". www.whanganui.govt.nz. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  3. [3]
    Stowell, Laurell (7 March 2022). "Relocated statue a symbol love and tragedy". NZ Herald. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  4. [4]
    Coxon, Terry (7 December 2021). "New home beside the lake for weeping Tainui". NZ Herald. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  5. [5]
    Stowell, Laurel (21 August 2020). "Date set for opening of memorial to Pura McGregor". NZ Herald. Retrieved 9 March 2022.

Further reading

  • "Virginia Lake". Wanganui Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 2539, 20 July 1875, p. 2
  • "Virginia Lake: unveiling the statue of Tainui." Historical record (Wanganui, N.Z.), Nov 1978; v.9 n.2: p. 3-6
  • "The story of Roto Kawau" Mana tangata, Dec 1992/Jan 1993; n.14: p. 27
  • "Virginia Waters" Historical record (Wanganui, N.Z.), May 1970; v.1 n.1: p. 48-51
  • "Wanganui's Virginia Lake" New Zealand historic places, Sep 1995; n.55: p. 14-16


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