Place No 2 – The Memorial Statue, Moutoa Gardens, Whanganui

This statue – the weeping woman – stands in the Moutoa Gardens in Whanganui. It was erected in 1865 to commemorate Māori who had died at the Battle of Moutoa Island, fought up the Whanganui River in 1864.  There has been some recent controversy on the words used on the monument, where Māori are described as having engaged in fanaticism and barbarism. If you’d like to read more about this controversy, click on the photo.