William Wakefield Memorial

William Wakefield Memorial
The William Wakefield Memorial in 2012
Map
41°18′02″S 174°46′53″E / 41.30063°S 174.78129°E / -41.30063; 174.78129
LocationBasin Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand
Completion date1882
Dedicated toWilliam Wakefield
Official nameWilliam Wakefield Memorial
Designated22 June 2007
Reference no.1441

The William Wakefield Memorial is a rare New Zealand example of an early memorial commemorating one of the original European settlers. It was ordered in 1850, some time after the death of William Wakefield, an important but controversial agent for the New Zealand Company. It was not put up until 1882, but even after then, it was rare to commemorate settlers with a memorial. Originally placed in the Basin Reserve, the main cricket ground in Wellington, it was relocated to outside the cricket ground, before being restored in 2006 by Wellington City Council and placed close to its original location.