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Story: Rock and mineral names

Greywacke sculpture

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Greywacke sculpture

Greywacke has almost never been used for sculpture because it is often fractured, and difficult to carve with hand tools. However, modern power tools were used for this sculpture at Wellington’s Owhiro Bay, proving that hard rock such as greywacke can be effectively shaped.

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Private collection

by Simon Nathan

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

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How to cite this page

Simon Nathan, Rock and mineral names – Local names, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/9066/greywacke-sculpture (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Simon Nathan, published 2 March 2009.