Gill Absolon Memorial Sculpture stolen from Timona Park in Feilding

These Ōamaru stone sculptures were stolen from Timona Park in Feilding between March 11 and 14.

The Gill Absolon Memorial Sculpture was stolen from Timona Park in Feilding between March 11 and 14.

The memorial, titled Centurions, consists of two Ōamaru stone sculptures that were attached to concrete plinths, which remain in the park.

Manawatū District Council is appealing to the public for help to find the sculptures, which were made and named to honour Feilding champion Gill Absolon.

Absolon was the mastermind behind the Timona Park Orchard Trust, which transformed an unused and unloved part of the park into a haven of fruit trees. The memorial was a collaborative effort with the Kimbolton Sculpture Festival in 2020.

“These sculptures honour an incredible member of our community, and to see them stolen is a disappointment and disrespectful to the amazing work that Gill and the Timona Park Orchard Trust have achieved,” council parks and property officer James Adamson says.

“We are asking anyone with information to please come forward.”

If you see the sculptures or have information about the incident, please ring the council on 06 323 0000. You can remain anonymous.

If you have the sculptures, you can leave them next to where they were displayed – no questions asked, Adamson says.

Absolon died in 2019 aged 84. She was well-known in Palmerston North for her work with the Mature Employment Support Agency.