A statue of French-born engineer Camille Malfroy that has spent the last 16 years in Rotorua's Government Garden's has been stolen leaving its sculptor George Andrews 'mortified”.
Rotorua Lakes Council confirmed the bronze sculpture, which was installed in 2007, 'was stolen from the Government Gardens on Monday night”.
'Council Staff reported the theft to police on Tuesday. Government Gardens are actively patrolled by our Community Safety Team and we have already deployed additional resource to help deter any similar offending,” a council spokesperson says.
Police also confirmed they had been informed of the theft and are 'making enquiries”.
The bronze statue is approximately 200 metres away from the Rotorua police station.
The sculptor says he had visited the site after being made aware of the theft.
'I was absolutely mortified,” Andrews says.
'Out of all the things I've [created], I always liked that one.”
He says the theft could simply be for the value of the bronze, though 'it's always possible it's political”.
The bronze of Camille Malfroy had been in place in Rotorua's Government Gardens since 2007. Photo: Supplied.
Andrews says he did all the modelling and casting for the sculpture.
'I've spent 25 years on it.”
His message to the thief or thieves who took the statue was: 'Give it back.”
According to the Te Ara Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, Malfroy first came to New Zealand in the early 1860s.
After time spent in the West Coast goldfields, Malfroy was appointed by Crown Lands Department as an engineer, later acting as an overseer of works at Rotorua Sanatorium.
He also developed artificial geysers in the area to the south of Te Runanga in 1889.
Wooden valves regulated the flow of hot water enabling the operator to make any of the three geysers play to heights of up to 12 metres.
He timed the first public appearance to coincide with Queen Victoria's birthday in May 1890.
Malfroy was also famed for developing bathing facilities for women, and supervised the development of the Government Gardens.
1 comment
Sad and useless
Posted on 05-03-2023 11:45 | By Kancho
Its sad we have people who steal and destroy who are clearly unhappy disrespectful and misdirected to the point of doing this pointless theft. Give it back
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