Refresh for memorial fountain

The Dame Hilda Ross Memorial Fountain is set to receive a minor refresh and preventative maintenance alongside the ongoing work at Hinemoa Park.

The fountain was built in 1964 alongside the now demolished Founders Memorial Theatre. The fountain’s pool was once a place for children to have a splash, but it has long since fallen into disuse.

Renovations at the park began this July. Photo by Kai Creighton

There are currently no plans to restore the fountain to full functionality due to budget restrictions, but Hamilton City Council Parks and Recreation Manager Amy Satterfield said it “will be kept to a standard that enables it to be easily reactivated in future.”

“The upcoming work includes water blasting and tidying up the fountain, sanding, cleaning and repairing the bowl features, stripping old grout and re-applying new mortar and grouting to pavers and tiles, cleaning bottom pool tiles and repainting with non-slip paint, cleaning up gardens and refurbishing seating, and removing the steel water ring and stainless nozzles so they can be safely stored for future restoration,” said Satterfield.

The fountain was dedicated to Hamilton’s first female councillor, Dame Hilda Ross, and its history gives it a category B heritage significance. She served as a National MP from 1945 until her death in 1959.

Dame Hilda Ross was particularly concerned with issues regarding women, children, and the elderly; she served as Minister of Welfare of Women and Children between 1949 and 1957. She represented New Zealand at the United Nations Status of Women Commission in 1952, supporting women’s right to equal pay.

Council engaged a heritage expert to ensure the historical aspects of the fountain are maintained.