Market Place – Victoria Square

Around 1500 years ago, a Maori village stretched from Victoria Square (pictured) to Bealey Ave and was known as Puari. Around the Waitaka Pa, 800 Maori had made Puari their home.Puari’s burial grounds – the sites of the old Library Chambers (demolished due to earthquake damage) and the Central Police Station (future unknown) each on …

The Bowker Fountain Began Operation – 26th February 1931

On 26th February 1931, the Bowker Fountain began operation in Victoria Square. Since 1864, Henry Layton Bowker had worked his land and estate business opposite Market Place (Victoria Square) on Colombo Street. Quite often he caught himself glancing out his window thinking how nice it would be to have a fountain to look at. When …