2003 The Nectar Eaters

The Nectar Eaters stands as a tribute to the Manawatū; an historical reference to the land and people of the region, interweaved with nature by the common thread of flax.

The swampland of the Manawatū plains, before it was drained for cultivation, provided fertile ground for flax plants. Leaves were harvested and pounded by Māori using stone pounders - beautifully rounded tools, patinated by the wear of hands. Flax served as an industry for both European settlers and Māori. It was used to make humble binder twine, a product that, in the 1870s and 80s, played a large part in the development of Palmerston North and the nearby towns of Shannon and Foxton.

In Nectar Eater’s a massive flax pounder is surrounded by a swirl of birds. Tūī, bellbirds and stitchbirds flutter about the pounder in furious, riotous motion, as if punch drunk on flax berries, their spiralling flightlines tracked on the pounder’s surface. Meanwhile two ancient huia, as still ghosts, perch at the high point of the handle.

The sculpture was purchased by UCOL in 2003.