The Man and the Memorial
For over 40 years I have passed the WW1 Memorial in the Nell Fisher Reserve (originally known as Civic Park) and been aware of its changing condition. At times it has looked neglected, the drinking fountain broken, its bowl filled with cement and the lighting disconnected and the glass globe shattered or non-existent. Former North Shore mayor Paul Titchener noted in his article in 1982 on the monument that “the passing years have not been kind to it" (Titchener, Paul. Beginnings, vol 6, p.44). When the new Birkenhead Library was built in 2010, the surrounding park was landscaped and the memorial was expertly restored, creating a revitalised space . Some of this work is described in a Salmond Reed Architects Limited report . Although drinking from the fountain is no longer an option, the globe light has been replaced and it glows through the park trees, highlighted at night, that surround it. Ref: B0319, Nell Fisher Reserve Memorial, North Auckland Auckland R...