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Story: East Coast places

James Cook: unveiling a monument to Cook

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James Cook: unveiling a monument to Cook

A monument to explorer James Cook was unveiled on the foreshore below Kaiti Hill on 8 October 1906. The monument was immediately controversial because three sides of the base listed the names of all the Poverty Bay locals who had served in the South African War (1899–1902). A ‘rectification committee’ lobbied for the relocation of these names and this was accomplished at a later date.

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Tairawhiti Museum, Te Whare Taonga O Te Tairawhiti

Reference: 1.45-176

Permission of Tairawhiti Museum, PO Box 716, Gisborne, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Monty Soutar, East Coast places – Gisborne, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/33513/james-cook-unveiling-a-monument-to-cook (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Monty Soutar, published 23 August 2011, updated 1 March 2015.