Black Rhinoceros - Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 54° 58.812 W 001° 36.758
30U E 588788 N 6093468
This life size statue of an African black rhinoceros stands in the grounds of the Great North Museum: Hancock which is in the grounds of the campus of Newcastle University.
Waymark Code: WMGZ4D
Location: North East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/26/2013
Views: 4
This
natural history museum originally opened in 1884. It was funded by a number of wealthy locals, primarily William Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong, a succefull engineer and business man.
The
rhinoceros sculpture was built round a tubular steel core, the 2 ton concrete form was covered with four layers of protective lacquering which makes it waterproof and graffiti-resistant. It was installed in 1991 and was sculpted by Christine Hill who created the sculpture as her final honours project for Sunderland College of Art.
It was inspired after a trip to Africa where she had seen the effects of poaching. It was funded by three separate sources of money. Prism, a government fund that helps in the display of scientific specimens. Armstrong World Industries, the surving company of the William Armstrong which already had a commitment to rhino conservation. The rest of the money was found from a further donation by the National Museum of Science and Industry.
There is a plaque in front of the statue.
THE BLACK RHINOCEROS
by Christine Hill
Armstrong World Industries Ltd
makers of Rhinofloor and the Museums
and Galleries Commission helped us
put up this sculpture as a reminder
that the rhino, one of the world's great
animals is threatened with extinction
by the greed of mankind.
1991
There is a separate sign asking people not to climb on the Rhinoceros, but recognising that people will be tempted the sculpture is surounded by the type of soft flooring used in adventure playgrounds.