Captain Cook statue covered up in Rangitīkei town of Marton

June 18, 2020

The local council made the call as NZ continues to debate colonial monuments.

A Captain Cook statue has been boxed up in the Rangitīkei town of Marton.

In a post to Facebook yesterday, the local council said it had decided to “conceal” the statue to allow time for a formal decision to be made.

“Council is aware of the recent sensitivities around historic statutes, like the Captain Cook statue in Marton,” the council said.

“We ask you to please respect this decision.”

It comes as a debate in New Zealand continues around the future of colonial era monuments, statues and place names. 

The decision comes after Black Lives Matter protests have targeted symbols of colonialization and oppression.

Earlier this week, The Captain Cook Hotel in Dunedin announced it would be changing its name.

The pub’s owner also shared the change on Facebook , saying he no longer wanted his vendors to be reminded "of oppression and suffering when they came to the venue".

Last week, a statue representing a British naval captain involved in the Battle of Gate Pā in Hamilton was removed by the council. 

The Māori Party also last week called for an inquiry into all of the colonial monuments and statues around New Zealand.

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