Happy Birthday Moller Fountain!

The Moller Fountain has graced Haven Road for eighty years, beautiful by day and night.

When it was first built, none of Nelson’s public spaces were illuminated at night. Nelson’s twinkling city lights, viewed from the Port Hills, was the only local light spectacle. This changed when the Moller Fountain became not only the city’s first light show, but a beloved landmark signifying the entrance to the city.  

Nelsonians first heard of plans for a fountain in the city on 18 April 1940. The Nelson Evening Mail wrote: “The Nelson City Council has decided to install an illuminated fountain at the top of the church steps. The fountain was recently donated to the city by a citizen who wishes to remain anonymous. The necessary equipment is now available and the installation will be commenced almost immediately.”

The location on Pikimai provoked vigorous public debate, inspiring the newspaper to publish a voting form allowing Nelsonians to express their preference to the council. It listed Anzac Park, Church Hill, Haven Road, Miller’s Acre and Queen’s Gardens as possible sites.

After the poll, city councillors were divided between Church Hill and Queen’s Gardens. Mayor George Page decided to consult with the donor, but before he could report back to the Council, Bishop Percival William Stephenson protested against the selection of Church Hill, and eventually the Haven Road site was agreed. Dorothea Moller was revealed as the donor when she started the fountain on the evening of 7 August 1940, in the presence of a large crowd.

According to Dorothea, her deceased husband Bernard, a fruit and veg merchant who served on the city council, considered Nelson to be one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand and wished to leave a memorial gift to the city. She decided to make the gift during her lifetime.

Judith Rizzi, Suzanne Kay and Paddy the Collie near the Moller Fountain in 1961. Nelson Provincial Museum, Barry Simpson, Nelson Photo News Collection: 329672

A favourite subject in the Nelson Photo News, published from 1960 to 1974, the fountain appeared on the cover in 1964, 1968 and 1971, and is mentioned in many articles. The December 1962 issue features an image of the fountain getting a facelift: “The Moller Fountain has had its face washed and uplifted recently in preparation for the tourist season. Takaka marble has been used lavishly to give the fountain a much more pleasing appearance. We look forward to the day when we can park our car handily and watch the night display.”

More recently, students of neighbouring Auckland Point School have taken ownership of the fountain. They’ve drawn attention to it by displaying artwork in the surrounding reserve, including pink flamingos, purple sea creatures, bees, poppies and cut-outs of rugby players, and helped Nelmac plant the yellow daffodils that bloom around it each spring.

Students who attended the Auckland Point School in the 1960s remember the original creamy colour of the fountain, but the new millennium brought a switch to pink and turquoise. In 2005 Auckland Point School students called for a change of colour to purple and golden yellow. Then in 2009 they wrote to Mayor Kerry Marshall complaining that the fountain looked “ratty and tatty” and needed fresh paint.

In February 2010 the fountain received a gold and cream paint job and new electrics to control the timing and pattern of the water display. Resene provided the paint, Nelson North Lions Club volunteers helped Nelmac with painting and Port Nelson donated funds towards the project. The kids, volunteers, donors and the Mayor celebrated the completion of the face-lift with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and sausage sizzle.

This article was kindly researched and written by one of our Museum volunteers.