Sculptures and public art

The Heartland Sculpture' represents Taupō's position as the heart of the North Island and was handed over to Taupō District Council on 25 September 2011 by the Friends of the Lake Taupō Museum and Art Gallery Inc.

The piece, which sits proudly on the Tongariro South Domain, was constructed by local artist Brett Taylor, who took inspiration from the early settlers of Taupō. The heart is made of stone and is covered with 10mm of high-tech colour and clear resins.

The massive stained Matai logs that create the main structure around the heart were hauled out of the Waipohotu Forest near Mangakino.

The heavy structure, fastened with bronze straps, represents the infrastructure and hard work of early New Zealand settlers. The bronze stars at the top of the wooden structure represent those used by settlers to navigate to New Zealand.

The Cloak of Tia

The first sculpture from the Taupō Sculpture Trust, The Cloak of Tia, was unveiled on 16 October 2009, by Mayor Rick Cooper and the Sculpture Trust Chairman Ian Smith in front of a very appreciative crowd. The 3m glass towers stand at the entrance of the Great Lake Centre, a testament to the great Maori explorer and Ngati Tuwharetoa ancestor Tia.

The contemporary sculpture was the creation of renowned glass artist Lynden Over of Lava Glass Studio in Wairakei. The sculptor explained his inspiration for the piece the blue and green hues represent the lake and the surrounding forest, the red and brown hues represent the fiery volcanic nature of the region.

The sculpture is made up of 4,000 individually hand made pieces of glass, representing the feathers from the Cloak of Tia. The left over feathers are available as limited edition commemorative pieces at the Lava Glass Gallery. One of the four inset plaques gives a full explanation of the making of this sculpture and the rhyolite pedestal on which it is set

Taupō Sculpture Trust aims to formulate other contemporary sculptures for the Taupo District and has received donations from Taupō Moana Rotary Club and Creative Taupo towards its work.

View the Story of The Great Cloak if Tia here.

Contact Energy's Gift to the People of Taupō-Ngatoroirangi Toa Matarau

Dawn on 14 November 2009, saw around 1000 people join members of the Taupō RSA at the entrance to the Taupo War Memorial to unveil Contact Energy's Gift to the People of Taupō. The 9 metre high sculpture is a Waharoa or spiritual entrance that now stands as a gateway to the Taupō War Memorial Cenotaph on Tongariro Street in Taupō.

It was designed and carved by local master carver Delani Brown, who is of Ngati Tuwharetoa/ Raukawa descent. He worked closely with Ngati Tuwharetoa Kaumatua to receive the stories, wisdom and historical knowledge that underpin the stories depicted in the carving.

The Waharoa has been sculpted from ancient Totara sourced from the Waipohutu forest of the Pouakani Lands, it features carvings that tell a symbolic and spiritual story about the arrival of geothermal energy to the Taupō region.

The site for the Waharoa outside the Great Lake Centre was selected by Ngati Tuwharetoa as it is sacred to the whole community as a place to reflect and remember those who have passed on.

View the story of the Waharoa Ngatoroirangi Toa Matarau here.

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