What does Edward Gibbon Wakefield, an Englishman, have in common with Richard Milhaus Nixon, an American?
Wakefield, a key figure in the establishment of the colonies of South Australia and New Zealand, is particularly associated with the English settlement of Wellington in the 19th century.
Nixon was the 37th president of the United States and – in 1974 – the only president to resign his presidency.
Both have had statues erected in New Zealand to honour them.
Wakefield’s statue is in Wellington – at least for now.
The statue of Nixon was erected in the town of Wakefield, near Nelson. It was one of the earliest European settlements in New Zealand which – according to a local website – was named after the town of Wakefield in Yorkshire, not, as many assume, after Captain Arthur Wakefield, brother of Edward Gibbon Wakefield.
Why the citizens of Wakefield should have honoured Nixon with a statue is not obvious.
As it turns out, they didn’t – but plans are afoot that might result in the land on which he is standing becoming public property.
When that happens, the statue might be toppled – or perhaps sold.
PoO learned this from a Stuff report headed Is this the end of Nelson’s Richard Nixon statue?
The report didn’t quote anyone who wants to have the statue toppled. But it did betray the reporter’s position by disparaging Nixon (disgraced), the statue (infamous) and the property (notorious):
A small Tasman town faces an important question: keep the infamous statue of Richard Nixon or build a community hub instead?
The life-size bronze statue of the disgraced US president has bemused residents of Wakefield, about 20km south of Nelson, for more than a decade.
The statue, holding Nixon’s iconic double peace sign pose, stands on the notorious 52 Edward Street site known as Fort Haldeman – reportedly the former office of the locally-defunct publishing company Haldeman LLC, that had been partly owned by controversial businessman Tony Katavich.
The sentiment to be rid of Nixon (the statue) is much less obvious than the sentiment to pull down anything which reminds writers such as Joel MacManus of Edward Gibbon Wakefield.
In 2020 he wrote an article headed Two monuments to ‘sexual predators and colonisers’ could be scrapped in Wellington.
Two monuments dedicated to a pair of colonial brothers are coming under fire in the debate over statues of controversial historical figures.
And:
… they are remembered as colonisers, who scammed local Māori of their land. They were also both arrested for kidnapping 15-year-old heiress Ellen Turner and forcing her to marry Edward.
“These men were sexual predators and colonisers,” councillor Tamatha Paul said.
In the past week Paul has declared her urge to rid the town not only of Wakefield statues, but also a statue of Queen Victoria.
Meanwhile, the Tasman District Council is considering plans for a new community hub for Wakefield – the village – to replace the ageing and earthquake-prone village hall.
The hub had earlier been assumed to be built on the Wakefield Recreation Reserve, but the current owners of Fort Haldeman approached the council early this year to raise the possibility of building the hub on their site instead.
The council is now consulting the community on its preference between the two locations.
PoO established that the statue of Nixon in Wakefield was erected at 52 Edward Street, a property known as Fort Haldeman, by its former owner, John Katavich.
A bloke by name of Haldeman featured in the Watergate scandal.
Katavich, a Nixon admirer, commissioned the life-sized statue, one of only two in the world, to honor Nixon’s diplomatic achievements, particularly his peacekeeping efforts with China and Russia.
In 2013, Katavich noted that people often overlooked these accomplishments due to Nixon’s controversial reputation.
The statue, depicting Nixon in his signature double peace sign pose, was placed in the front yard of the property, which Katavich owned until 2016.
Who owns the property now?
PoO’s search was not comprehsenive but we did establish: .
Both have had statues erected in New Zealand to honour them.
Wakefield’s statue is in Wellington – at least for now.
The statue of Nixon was erected in the town of Wakefield, near Nelson. It was one of the earliest European settlements in New Zealand which – according to a local website – was named after the town of Wakefield in Yorkshire, not, as many assume, after Captain Arthur Wakefield, brother of Edward Gibbon Wakefield.
Why the citizens of Wakefield should have honoured Nixon with a statue is not obvious.
As it turns out, they didn’t – but plans are afoot that might result in the land on which he is standing becoming public property.
When that happens, the statue might be toppled – or perhaps sold.
PoO learned this from a Stuff report headed Is this the end of Nelson’s Richard Nixon statue?
The report didn’t quote anyone who wants to have the statue toppled. But it did betray the reporter’s position by disparaging Nixon (disgraced), the statue (infamous) and the property (notorious):
A small Tasman town faces an important question: keep the infamous statue of Richard Nixon or build a community hub instead?
The life-size bronze statue of the disgraced US president has bemused residents of Wakefield, about 20km south of Nelson, for more than a decade.
The statue, holding Nixon’s iconic double peace sign pose, stands on the notorious 52 Edward Street site known as Fort Haldeman – reportedly the former office of the locally-defunct publishing company Haldeman LLC, that had been partly owned by controversial businessman Tony Katavich.
The sentiment to be rid of Nixon (the statue) is much less obvious than the sentiment to pull down anything which reminds writers such as Joel MacManus of Edward Gibbon Wakefield.
In 2020 he wrote an article headed Two monuments to ‘sexual predators and colonisers’ could be scrapped in Wellington.
Two monuments dedicated to a pair of colonial brothers are coming under fire in the debate over statues of controversial historical figures.
And:
… they are remembered as colonisers, who scammed local Māori of their land. They were also both arrested for kidnapping 15-year-old heiress Ellen Turner and forcing her to marry Edward.
“These men were sexual predators and colonisers,” councillor Tamatha Paul said.
In the past week Paul has declared her urge to rid the town not only of Wakefield statues, but also a statue of Queen Victoria.
Meanwhile, the Tasman District Council is considering plans for a new community hub for Wakefield – the village – to replace the ageing and earthquake-prone village hall.
The hub had earlier been assumed to be built on the Wakefield Recreation Reserve, but the current owners of Fort Haldeman approached the council early this year to raise the possibility of building the hub on their site instead.
The council is now consulting the community on its preference between the two locations.
PoO established that the statue of Nixon in Wakefield was erected at 52 Edward Street, a property known as Fort Haldeman, by its former owner, John Katavich.
A bloke by name of Haldeman featured in the Watergate scandal.
Katavich, a Nixon admirer, commissioned the life-sized statue, one of only two in the world, to honor Nixon’s diplomatic achievements, particularly his peacekeeping efforts with China and Russia.
In 2013, Katavich noted that people often overlooked these accomplishments due to Nixon’s controversial reputation.
The statue, depicting Nixon in his signature double peace sign pose, was placed in the front yard of the property, which Katavich owned until 2016.
Who owns the property now?
PoO’s search was not comprehsenive but we did establish: .
- In 2016, the property at 52 Edward Street, known as a 14-bedroom mansion modeled on the White House and referred to as “Fort Haldeman,” was part-owned by controversial businessman Tony Katavich, associated with Haldeman LLC. It was sold that year for $1.15 million to the owners of the Wakefield Hotel.
- The property was listed for sale again in 2016 for $1.1 million, described as a country estate.
- As of 2023, the property’s rating valuation by Tasman Council was $1.62 million.
- Recent articles from 2025 mention plans for a potential community hub at the site, but they do not confirm current ownership.
Nixon, of course, is known as a president who resigned in the midst of a political scandal.
But on the positive side of his presidency, he can be credited with forging détente with the Soviet Union and China, the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
PoO’s internet search established that:
The only known statues of him are in:
- Rapid City, South Dakota, USA: A bronze statue of Richard Nixon is part of the City of Presidents project, situated at the southwest corner of St. Joseph Street and 5th Street. This is one of over 40 presidential statues in downtown Rapid City, commissioned since 2000.
- Wakefield, New Zealand: A life-sized statue of Richard Nixon, depicted in his iconic double peace sign pose, stands at 52 Edward Street, known as Fort Haldeman. Recent reports indicate this statue may face removal if the property is repurposed as a community center.
Isn’t that a tourist drawcard?
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
1 comment:
If it is made of bronze how come it has survivd so long? Seems to prove the Nelson area the most civilised in NZ.
Post a Comment
Thanks for engaging in the debate!
Because this is a public forum, we will only publish comments that are respectful and do NOT contain links to other sites. We appreciate your cooperation.