Location: Entrance between 14 and 20 Tongariro Street, Paraparaumu
One of the most dramatic landmarks on the Kāpiti Coast is this 14-metre-high statue of the Virgin Mary on the 75-metre-knoll above St Patrick's Church. It was commissioned by the parish priest, Father J.S. Dunn in 1958 to mark the 100th anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes.
A Dutch artist, Martin Roestenberg, built the statue, one of the largest in the world of its kind. He moulded the two-metre high head at his home at Taihape. At the site, a crane lifted it onto scaffolding. The statue grew from the head downward as layers of plaster-of-paris were applied to scrim and moulded into the shape of draperies. A small door in the base gives access to a trapdoor leading up to the head. Through a winter of cold gales the artist persevered until, in August 1958, the massive statue was completed with its crown of 17 lights. When floodlit, its sparkling halo is visible for kilometres.
Later, to protect it from vandalism and weathering, the statue was protected by several layers of fibreglass. ‘Stations of the Cross’, scenes of Christ's passion in mosaics, were placed beside the hilltop path.
Taken at Paraparaumu, Kapiti Coast. Our Lady of Lourdes Statue. Designed and built by Martin Roestenberg, 1958. Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 2
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Taken at Paraparaumu, Kapiti Coast. Our Lady of Lourdes Statue. Designed and built by Martin Roestenberg, 1958. Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 2
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a knoll above Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast of North Island, New Zealand. Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 3
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a knoll above Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast of North Island, New Zealand. Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 3
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our lady of Lourdes - The Statue at Paraparaumu: Standing at 14 metres on a 75 metre high hill exposed to bone chilling winds, the statue was created by Martin (Martinus Wouterous) Roestenburg out of plaster and wood. Dutch artist Martin Roestenberg made the two-metre head in his Taihape home while the body with its four-metre-wide shoulders was made on site. The massive hollow structure with its internal staircase is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Seventeen bulbs light up the halo at night. At the base of the statue are the words ‘I am the Immaculate Conception’. Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 4
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our lady of Lourdes - The Statue at Paraparaumu: Standing at 14 metres on a 75 metre high hill exposed to bone chilling winds, the statue was created by Martin (Martinus Wouterous) Roestenburg out of plaster and wood. Dutch artist Martin Roestenberg made the two-metre head in his Taihape home while the body with its four-metre-wide shoulders was made on site. The massive hollow structure with its internal staircase is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Seventeen bulbs light up the halo at night. At the base of the statue are the words ‘I am the Immaculate Conception’. Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 4
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 5
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 5
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 6
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 6
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 7
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 7
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 8
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 8
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 9
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 9
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 10
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 10
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 11
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 11
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 12
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 12
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 13
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 13
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 14
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu 14
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
Our Lady of Lourdes in Paraparaumu
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