Fred W Wylie Memorial

Fred Wylie Memorial, public art, Rotorua

Public Art : Fred W Wylie Memorial

Sculptor : © Unknown

Description : A painted brown and white marble statue of a soldier in full uniform standing on a pedestal with a lion head fountain below. The right leg rests on a portion of a broken gun and the left hand holds a sword .

Date Unveiled : The Wylie memorial was unveiled at the annual Maori Carnival in 1904.

Location : The Fred W Wylie memorial can be found in the Government Gardens, Rotorua, New Zealand.

Inscription :

Boer War 1899-1902

To commemorate the valour of
king's sergt.
FRED W. WYLIE

of Galatea, Rotorua.
Fourth N.Z. Contingent.
erected
by the Public
and
Rifle Volunteers
of
Rotorua.

Extract From Brigade Orders

The Death of King's Sergt
F.Wylie is deeply regretted
A brave man and a good soldier
Ext Capt Walker -
He was as brave as a lion

He recaptured unaided a 15-pdr.gun, taking two prisoners in the action at Hartebeestefontein 25th.March 1901. Promoted King's Segt. by command, subsequently joining the Seventh Contingent he was killed while leading the attack in action at Klipfontein 26th May 1901.
Aged 25 years

Fama Semper Vivat

Sign Inscription :

Wylie Memorial

This monument commemorates Fred Wylie, a young soldier from Galatea who fought in the Boer War with the Fourth New
Zealand Contingent. Son of the first store keeper in Rotorua, Joseph Wylie, and a member of a unit known as the 'Rough
Riders' he was killed leading an attack at Klipfontein on 26th May 1901.
'He was brave as a lion,' reads the inscription, which might explain the lion's head fountain on the front of the
statue.The project to create this memorial was initiated by the people of Galatea, and it was unveiled in 1904.

Trivia : The lion has long been used as a symbol for memorials of the Boer War suggesting strength, power and imperial dominance.

The South African Memorial in Albert Park looks remarkably similar to the Fred Wylie Memorial.

Fred Wylie Memorial in Rotorua, Trooper Statue in Auckland