New Zealand - Palmerston North

Palmerston North


There is no Palmerston South. The town of Palmerston on the South Island was founded 9 years before this one, so that town got to keep its name. Why this isn't called North Palmerston, or some completely different name that isn't the same as another town that was just founded...


Like most towns in this country, I'm coming to find, Palmerston North has a cenotaph for the Great War, in the centre of The Square on the north side. I didn't even know what a cenotaph was until I started editing my New Zealand photos.


This is "Numbers", the first public sculpture in Palmerston North (2007), by Anton Parsons, who also created a similar Möbius sculpture (Passing Time) for the city in 2010. The numbers are random on this one, while on the Möbius strip they are a twisting series of each year from 1906 (founding of his college, Christchurch Polytechnic) to the installation in 2010.


The Drapery and General Importing Company was founded in Christchurch in 1883, so this building is probably a bit newer than that. But maybe not much.


Palmerston North is big on sculptures. This is "Returning Column" by Greg Johns, on the west side of The Square in the Main Street roundabout where no one can enjoy it.


The NZ Jersey Cattle Breeders Assn. was once headquartered on Rangitikei St. (Highway 3) just north of Grey St. It was incorporated in 1902, which seems about right for this building. Fun fact: "Go Girl!" (a women's exercise club) was located next to a brothel.


The building two doors down was built in 1926. That's all I caught of it.

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