Colin at home with the ducks
Colin, a giant steel T-Rex, will spend the rest of its life in a Lower Hutt duck pond.
The 6-tonne sculpture was built and designed by Hutt Valley firms Macaulay Metals and Real Steel for Hutt City Council’s Highlight Festival in 2018. It was subsequently auctioned off, with the proceeds going to the Te Omanga Hospice rebuild.
Auckland scrap metal merchant Clark Proctor was one of 554 bidders on Trade Me and paid $33,200 for Colin.
Proctor said he was looking for something eye-catching for his Cockle Bay beach house. ‘‘I hope families and children will get a real buzz out of getting their picture taken with it.’’
Colin was temporarily housed in Dowse Square until arrangements could be made to transport the sculpture to Auckland.
Through donations from Chris MacKay and E Tu Awakairangi Public Arts Trust, however, the sculpture was gifted to the Hutt City Council.
On Monday the sculpture was moved to its new home in the middle of the Avalon Park duckpond. The pond was drained at the beginning of March for maintenance but is expected to be refilled this week.
Mayor Ray Wallace said Colin was too popular to be let go to Auckland.
‘‘Colin is an amazing sight and we wanted to ensure he was on display somewhere a lot of people could enjoy him . . . with Colin now standing tall in the pond with his head facing towards the southern entrance, he’ll be a real eye-catcher for those entering the park and walking up the bridge.’’
Council strategic planning manager Heinrich Schulze said placing Colin in the duck pond had been quite straightforward despite its size.
‘‘He is quite massive. We do not call him a sculpture – we call him a feature.’’
Being so big, Schulze predicted Colin would be popular with ducks and seagulls looking for a resting spot.
The sculpture should also prove a huge hit with kids using the park, he said.