9 Ponsonby Road, Newton, Auckland

Western Park - Tuna Mau

Auckland Walks

By The Auckland Psychogeographer

One of Auckland's oldest parks; its layout the result of a design competition held in 1873.

It is steep in parts. There are several walkways, public toilets, a children's playground, sports facilities and a small performance space blended into the scenery.

Western Park has well established trees and three unusual sculptures entitled TIP.

The three TIP sculptures by Auckland sculptor John Radford poke through the skin of Ponsonby’s Western Park with a surreal black humour, psychogeographic ruins both ancient and futurist. Surprising details await closer inspection.

“It’s a fantasy inspired by the hundreds of demolished historic buildings from Auckland Central,” says Radford. *“The debris from these demolitions was dumped in nameless landfills around the Auckland region. Here, the ruins have undergone a subterranean reassembly - maybe in order to have vengeance on those who ordered their demise.”*The three (“Vic”, “E&F” and “Doo”) are made of super strength concrete, bronze and porcelain, and were commissioned by an anonymous benefactor and gifted to the people of Auckland at the end of 1998. Collective, the TIP works remain an iconic, mysterious feature of the city.

The main entry to Western Park is in the north, from Beresford Street West or lower Howe Street.

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