bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

statue of Captain

John Fane Charles Hamilton John Fane Charles Hamilton (28 September 1820 – 29 April 1864) was a British naval officer, after whom the city of Hamilton, New Zealand, is named. A statue of him stood in the centre of Hamilton from 2013 to 2020. Biography Early life ...

was installed for seven years, in

Hamilton, New Zealand Hamilton ( mi, Kirikiriroa) is an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand. Located on the banks of the Waikato River, it is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato region. With a territorial population of , it is the country's fou ...

, from in 2013 until removal in June 2020. The settlement of Hamilton (now a city) was named after Captain Hamilton, a British naval officer who was killed in action during colonial invasion of Maori land at the

Battle of Gate Pā The Tauranga campaign was a six-month-long armed conflict in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty in early 1864, and part of the New Zealand Wars that were fought over issues of land ownership and sovereignty. The campaign was a sequel to the invasion of ...

History

The life-size statue by

Margriet Windhausen Margriet Windhausen (born 24 June 1942) is a New Zealand sculptor and painter. Life Margriet Windhausen was born in Roermond, Netherlands to painter Fons Windhausen and is the fourth generation of the Windhausen family to be an artist. She stu ...

was gifted to Hamilton City by the Gallagher Group in 2013 "to celebrate 75 years in business".

Removal

In 2017 the donor's CEO, Sir William Gallagher, gave an

Institute of Directors The Institute of Directors (IoD) is a British professional organisation for company directors, senior business leaders and entrepreneurs. It is the UK's longest running organisation for professional leaders, having been founded in 1903 and incor ...

speech describing the

Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in the treatment of the M ...

as a fraud and denied it involved a partnership between

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

and

the Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

. About a dozen directors walked out of the speech in protest. The statue was defaced with red paint in August 2018. In June 2020, ahead of a

George Floyd protest The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internatio ...

in the US, the Hamilton City Council discussed the statue with Sir William's brother and fellow director, John Gallagher, then slated it for removal, after a request by Māori tribal confederation

Waikato Tainui Waikato Tainui, Waikato or Tainui is a group of Māori ''iwi'' based in Waikato Region, in the western central region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the larger Tainui confederation of Polynesian settlers who arrived to New Zealand o ...

. On 12 June 2020, the Hamilton City Council removed the statue of Captain Hamilton.

References

2013 establishments in New Zealand 2013 sculptures Bronze sculptures in New Zealand Buildings and structures in Hamilton, New Zealand Monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests Outdoor sculptures in New Zealand Sculptures of men in New Zealand Statues in New Zealand Tourist attractions in Hamilton, New Zealand Statues removed in 2020 {{Sculpture-stub

History

Removal

See also

References