Jellicoe Park fountain badly damaged by thieves2 min read

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The historic fountain in Jellicoe Park is undergoing major repairs after thieves stole copper and severely damaged it.

“The copper pipework and valves were ripped out of the bowl. The force from ripping these out damaged the pipework which leads into the plant room, causing significant leaks that destroyed electrical gear inside the plant room, including the lighting controls,” says Manager Area Operations Howick and Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Boards, Marcel Morgan.

“Over time, copper petals have been stolen but in the recent theft, further petals were also damaged and taken in the process. The remaining petals have been removed and stored by contractors.”

The fountain was already in line for some repair work when the vandalism occurred, which has added to the bill. “Scoping was already underway for rusted pipework before the theft, this has now had to include additional work,” says Marcel.

“Initial repairs have been completed to stop the leaking, isolating the water feed, and checking for the extent of damage. We now have a confirmed scope of what is needed to get the fountain operational again and are awaiting quotes from contractors. The scope includes replacing the pipework inside the fountain bowl and plant room, replacing the lights inside the bowl and the lighting controls, and recoating the fountain bowl.”

The repair work is estimated to cost between $25,000 and $35,000, and the council hopes to have the fountain restored by the end of June.

The fountain was built in 1953 to honour the contribution of former mayor of Onehunga and local architect, John Park, to local government, and installed at Jellicoe Park in 1955. John also designed the memorial arch at the Park Gardens entrance to Jellicoe Park, the Carnegie Library in Princes Street (which is now The Good Home), the Seddon Memorial which used to sit at Royal Oak roundabout, and the Aotea Sea Scouts building on the Onehunga foreshore.