Shakespeare Bust. Stratford. Taranaki. New Zealand.
S 39° 20.380 E 174° 17.030
60H E 265913 N 5642009
In the Taranaki town of Stratford there is a bronze bust of William Shakespeare standing in the town centre.
Stratford is one of New Zealand’s special places, named after William Shakespeare’s birthplace.
Waymark Code: WM5XVK
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 02/26/2009
Views: 6
The bronze bust of William Shakespeare was presented to the Stratford District Council by Sculptor Roger Peters in 1998 because of the town's many connections to Shakespeare.
On December 3, 1877, the name Stratford-upon-Patea was adopted, on the motion of William Crompton of the Taranaki Waste Lands Board. The supposed similarity of the Patea River to the River Avon in England led to the adoption of this name, and Crompton was known to have a literary turn of mind. There was a trend at the time to name towns after the birthplace of prominent British men. The William Shakespeare 'connection' led to the naming of 67 streets after Shakespearian characters from 27 of his plays.
Today New Zealand's only glockenspiel clocktower plays the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet three times a day.
Stratford in Taranaki is a sister city of Stratford upon Avon, in England.
About the sculptor Roger Peters: excerpt from the Quaternary Institute Website.
The Quaternary Institute was inaugurated by Roger Peters in July 2000.
The Institute is based in the countryside near Stratford, Taranaki, New Zealand. The function of the Institute is to develop a level of education commensurate with the previously unrecognised coherent and comprehensive philosophy evident in William Shakespeare's Sonnets and other works.
The Institute has been called quaternary to align its interests with the quaternary period, or the period of the evolution of the human sensibility over the last two million years. Only Shakespeare's works offer a level of understanding and expression in keeping with the full potential of humankind as quaternary beings.
Location Type: Statue/Bust/Portrait
Property Type:: Public
Date of event:: Town named in 1877. Bust presented in 1998
Location notes::
The bust is situated in the Square outside the Info Centre.
URL for Additional Information:: [Web Link]
If other, please explain:: Not listed
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