PUKEKURA PARK -JUBILEE DRINKING FOUNTAIN

A Sports Ground Committee was set up in late 1889 with a mandate to develop the sports ground to a point where it could be used for most sports including rugby and cricket. At the end of seven years members of the committee felt they had achieved their goal, and decided to dissolve the committee and hand back the running of the Sports Ground to the Recreation Ground Board. However, at the time the committee dissolved it still had some funds leftover and the members felt that maybe it could be expended on laying on water from the town supply for a small drinking fountain in the grounds. 

The executors of the Sports Ground Committee, N.K. McDiarmid and G.W. Browne, met with the Recreation Grounds Board offering the £13 they had in hand as the nucleus for a fund for a drinking fountain. They suggested that the remainder be raised by public subscription as they estimated up to £50 would be needed. Agreement was reached on the idea of constructing a fountain and its being located near the Band Stand. Mr Browne had plans drawn up for a drinking fountain which would stand twelve feet high, and be on Marble columns and with marble facings.

Construction of the drinking fountain proceeded rapidly under Mr Browne’s supervision, even though the subscriptions for covering the cost of it were slow in coming in. It was decided that as the Diamond Jubilee, celebrating the sixty year reign of Queen Victoria, was coming up the drinking fountain should dedicated to commemorating this occasion, and at the Jubilee celebrations in the Grounds, on the 22^nd of June 1897, the drinking fountain was unveiled on behalf of the Sports Ground Committee by Mr. H. Brown, H.H.R.

The fountain was built by Stonemason Mr. J Russell.