Wellington editor Joel MacManus pitches his big idea to save the capital: more statues on the waterfront.

After The Spinoff’s recent Year in Review live show at the Hannah Playhouse, an audience member asked me an intriguing question: What would you do if you were mayor for a day?

I didn’t have an answer because the honest one isn’t particularly satisfying. If I were mayor for a day, I would do… nothing. Not for a lack of ideas or ambition but because, in practical terms, mayors in New Zealand have no real power – especially not power they can execute in a single day. The mayor of Wellington can’t issue executive orders or unilateral directives. The mayor is just one vote among 16 city councillors, with only a casting vote to break ties and the privilege of running meetings.

The real power of the mayoralty is its platform – the bully pulpit. It’s a role of soft power. When the mayor speaks, people listen, and the media publishes. A skilled mayor can champion causes with a volume and visibility that councillors can’t match. They can get powerful and wealthy people in a room to hash things out using only the mana of their office.

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau was elected in a landslide but has struggled to wield the power of the bully pulpit. That is partly due to the complexities of council decision-making, partly a result of personal controversies, and at other times, a case of poor decision-making and campaign strategy.

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown, by comparison, is much better at throwing around his weight. The supercity mayor has a slightly more powerful office, but he’s also better at being that grouchy foot stomper who demands that the government listen to him rather than grovelling to local government minister Simeon Brown.

So, returning to the question: What would I do as mayor for a day? With no real ability to enact change, I’d use the platform to champion a cause. One day isn’t enough to tackle sweeping reforms, but it could spotlight a smaller project – something that is kinda neat and would be a wee boost for city. Then, I remembered I write a weekly column about Wellington issues and can just do that anyway. So here it is. 

A statue walk on the Wellington waterfront

Wellington should have a statue walk along its waterfront to celebrate the city’s most influential and notable people. Currently, the only statue on the waterfront that does so is Kupe’s Group, which honours the legendary Polynesian navigator Kupe, his wife Kuramārōtini, and tohunga Pekahourangi. It’s a striking monument: Te Aparangi is pointing to the distance as if she is about to say her famous line, “He ao! He ao! He aotea! He Aotearoa” (“A cloud, a cloud! A white cloud! A long white cloud!”) Kupe is reaching up to the sky dramatically. Pekahourangi looks contemplative, gazing into the distance as if imagining the future of this undiscovered land. The statue speaks to Aotearoa’s national identity and feels appropriate on the capital’s waterfront – but it’s lonely. There should be more statues around it.

To start, you could relocate Woman of Words, Virginia King’s Katherine Mansfield statue, from Midland Park to the waterfront. The John Plimmer statue could be another candidate to represent the city’s early business leaders, though he seems pretty comfortable with Plimmer Steps.

Would it have any noticeable economic impact? Probably not (though on a slightly related note, Wellington City Council needs to do a better job of activating the waterfront with more food trucks and businesses). But there are some greater, if harder-to-define, benefits – it would highlight our shared values, give young people heroes to emulate and instil a greater sense of civic pride. Every tourist to Wellington will visit the waterfront at some point, you might as well use it as an opportunity to promote the city’s greatness. 

It wouldn’t necessarily be that expensive, either. A life-size statue costs somewhere in the realm of $100,000, depending on materials and the level of artistry – and Wellington City Council already provides funding for public art. It could be as simple as redirecting funding. Or, a talented mayor who wanted to avoid ratepayer costs could pull together funding from various donors and interest groups.

A list of potential candidates for statues:

This list does not include politicians or anyone still alive. 

• Suzanne Aubert: Founder of the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion and a likely candidate to be New Zealand’s first saint.
• Truby King: Health reformer and founder of the Plunket Society.
• Brian Barratt-Boyes: Pioneering heart surgeon.
• Carmen Rupe: Activist, performer, and New Zealand’s first celebrity drag queen.
• Robin Cooke: Eminent jurist, considered New Zealand’s greatest legal mind.
• Nancy Wake: WWII spy known as The White Mouse.
• Alan MacDiarmid: Nobel laureate in chemistry.
• Bill Pickering: Nasa rocket scientist and space exploration pioneer.
• Tara: Founding ancestor of Ngāi Tara, and namesake of Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
• Te Rauparaha: Rangatira of Ngāti Toa, warrior, and composer of Ka Mate.
• John Clarke: Satirist and comedian.
• Bernard Freyberg: Victoria Cross recipient and decorated military leader in both world wars.
• Robin Hyde: Poet and novelist.
• Eric Tindill: The only person to play test rugby and test cricket for New Zealand. Also the only person to referee test matches in both sports.
• Rita Angus: One of New Zealand’s most celebrated painters.
• Michael King: Renowned historian.
• Alexander Grant: Ballet dancer, star of the Royal Ballet’s golden era.

If you have any suggestions for Wellingtonians who deserve a statue, comment below.