Registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, Queens Gardens in Nelson were formally opened in 1892 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. Inspired by an intimate Victorian garden, the gardens are designed around a Maori food gathering location; a portion of the Maitai River known as Eel Pond.

European settlers originally used the land as a meat market until the 1880s. In 1887 the location was dedicatedas the ‘Queens Gardens’ and a design competition was held in 1888, which was won by Antequil Somerville. Work began immediately and additions of the Memorial Gates and the Boer War Memorial were added early in the new century.

The gardens include many sculptures set among the notable tree collection, one of the most well known being the Cupid Fountain installed in 1894 by stonemason Johann Belcher who imported the mould, with its four lion heads, for a princely sum of £312.

Priapus stands centre stage in the fountain and as the god of beekeepers, gardens herbs, fishermen, sailors and procreation he captures the spirit of the formal Victorian layout. The fountain was donated to the city by a group of women led by former mayoress Emily Trask, whose husband Francis conceived the idea of the Queens Gardens.

Having held pride of place for many years, the well weathered fountain was stripped back to bare concrete then coated with Resene ArmourBond and Resene ArmourCote 510 before topcoating in Resene Imperite 413 white and Resene Imperite 503 Metallic tinted to Resene Gold Dust (gold metallic). A final coat of Resene Uracryl was applied to all exposed areas for long term protection.

And now the fountain is back fit for a Queen.

Painting Contractor: Nelmac
Garden History: www.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz
Resene: Philip Thompson, Nelson/Marlborough Branch Manager
From the Resene News – issue 2/2010