Bowring Park (St. John's)

Bowring Park
Type	Urban park
Location	St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Area	200 acres (81 ha)
Created	July 15 1914
Operated by	City of St. John's
Status	Open all year

Bowring Park, located in the Waterford Valley, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, is one of the most scenic parks in the city. Entrance to the park is via Waterford Bridge Road, passing a sculptured duck pond and a statue of Peter Pan.

History

The land that Bowring Park currently occupies was originally a farm owned by William Thorburn known as Rae Island. The land was purchased and donated to the city in 1911 by Sir Edgar Rennie Bowring on behalf of Bowring Brothers Ltd. on their 100th anniversary of commerce in Newfoundland.^[1] Frederick Todd created the design and Rudolph Cochius was the landscape architect for the original section of the park. The park was officially opened by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught on July 15, 1914.^[1]

The park has expanded to incorporate some of the surrounding areas known for their natural beauty. The original tract of land was 50 acres (200,000 m²) on the east side of the park. In the 1970s the park acquired 150 acres (610,000 m²) of land that once belonged to Sir Richard Squires, known as Midstream. The boundary between the old and new sections of the park is the overpass bridge near the swimming pool.

Attractions

The park has many recreation facilities, including tennis courts, a swimming pool and playground. There are a number of statues in the park, including two sculptures by Basil Gotta, one a Caribou and the other The Fighting Newfoundlander. The Caribou is a replica of the monument at the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park and was presented to the park by Major William Howe Green, a cousin of Sir Edgar Bowring. The Fighting Newfoundlander, a tribute to the Royal Newfoundland Regiment with Corporal Thomas Pittman as the subject, was also a gift from Sir Edgar Bowring. The statue was unveiled by Sir William Horwood in September 1922.

Statue of Peter Pan in Bowring Park

The Peter Pan was erected in memory of Sir Edgar Bowring's grandchild, Betty Munn, who had drowned along with her father at the sinking of the Florizel at Cappahayden. The statue was unveiled on August 29, 1925 with the following inscription;

In memory of a little girl who loved the Park.

The building and erection of the statue was supervised by Sir George Frampton, the sculptor who created the original statue at Kensington Gardens, London.

External links

• Bowring Park Foundation

References

1. 1 2 Smallwood, Joseph R. (1981). Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador Vol. 1 (1. ed., 3. print. ed.). St. John's: Newfoundland Book Publishers Ltd. p. 235. ISBN 0-920508-14-6. 

Coordinates: 47°31′22″N 52°45′14″W / 47.52278°N 52.75389°W / 47.52278; -52.75389