Manawatū statue missing phallus: Police seek information from public

Multimedia Reporter·NZ Herald·

3 Jan, 2024 02:27 AM3 mins to read

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Police have launched an investigation into the vandalism of a statue after its phallus was cut off in the Manawatū, saying they want anyone with information to come forward.

Local iwi Rangitāne o Manawatū, whose ancestor is depicted in the six-metre steel sculpture, was left “extremely disappointed” by the vandalism.

The statue, named Whatonga and standing at the top of the Manawatū Gorge Tawa Loop Track for the past decade, was vandalised on Saturday night, a local governance group said.

Police got a report of the incident the following day and have asked anyone who may have witnessed the incident to pass on any information they had. A police spokesman said tipsters could call 105 or use 105.police.govt.nz and quote file number 231231/0317.

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The iwi said the vandal would have had to carry steel-cutting equipment to the top of the track to remove the statue’s penis.

Man has history of vandalising nearby statue’s phallus

In 2019, Woodville man Milton Wainwright was ordered to pay $2000 to Rangitāne o Tāmaki nui-a-Rua for emotional harm for cutting a penis off a nearby carving.

Wainwright, at the time 78, had denied a charge of intentional damage for chainsawing the phallus off the pou, which was at the Woodville end of the Te Apiti walkway, but he was found guilty by Judge Lance Rowe at a defended hearing.

Legal defence counsel Mike Ryan said Wainwright had considered the carving to be indecent.

Tararua man Milton Wainwright (inset) was charged with wilful damage after the penis was cut off a Rangitāne carving in the Manawatū Gorge.

He had contacted the Department for Conservation, Horizons Regional Council, Tararua District Council and police to complain but no action was taken so Wainwright took matters into his own hands.

Ryan told the court Wainwright regretted his actions and that he had caused harm.

“Mr Wainwright says he will never take such action again.”

‘To say we are disgusted is an understatement’ - iwi

Iwi representative Danielle Harris said the statue depicted a “significant” ancestor for Rangitāne.

The statue acknowledged the iwi’s whakapapa (lineage) and history as well as educating visitors about who Rangitāne were as an iwi, Harris said.

Whatonga before the penis was cut off. Photo / ManawatuNZ

“Whatonga is one of our primary ancestors and the patterns on his statue tell his great story as a chief and explorer.

“To say we are disgusted to have a part of that story so disrespectfully removed is an understatement,” she said.

“It clearly shows the ignorance and lack of understanding by some individuals of art and its place in our world. We encourage those responsible to front up to the act.”

Whatonga after the statue's penis was cut off. Photo / Te Āpiti

Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua representative Mavis Mullins said she believed the vandalism to art and history was unacceptable.

“Globally art is explicit, from Michelangelo’s statue of David to Titian’s painting of Venus, with certain features being a common denominator,” she said.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.