The Tunneller - Turangi, North Island, New Zealand
S 38° 59.375 E 175° 48.540
60H E 396852 N 5683705
A tall corten steel statue of a Tunneller stands in the town centre of Turangi, representing all the people who worked on the Tongariro Hydro Power scheme in the late 1960s.
Waymark Code: WM10PQK
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 06/07/2019
Views: 2
This 4.2 metre high artwork is a tribute to the town's history. The statue recognises the contribution of the tunnellers, Pakeha, Italian and Maori, who were instrumental in building the Tongariro Power Development Scheme.
The Ministry of Works signed the first contracts for the 360-megawatt hydro-electric power scheme in 1967.
Tunnellers spent 13 years digging a network of tunnels in the region connecting lakes, rivers and powerhouses. Kiwis and the many immigrant Italian tunnellers worked in some of the most difficult and hazardous conditions imaginable to drive the 50 km of tunnels and build the vast underground power station at Rangipo.
Real estate agent Zane Cozens and his partner John Mack have donated this statue to Turangi. It cost around $40,000. The Tunnellers helmet lamp lights up at night.
Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: The Tunneller.
Figure Type: Human
Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Unknown.
Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: Unveiled on 16th March 2019.
Materials used: Corten Steel.
Location: Town Centre, Turangi.
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