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The brazen theft of a heavy metal sundial plate from a public park in Ōrewa has upset local residents, and Auckland Council is urging anyone with information to notify the police.
The brass or bronze plate, 54cm in diameter, was prised off its stone plinth at Maygrove Park, probably overnight during the weekend of May 18-19. The large disc is topped by what’s known as a gnomon – the upright pointer which casts a shadow across the plate, indicating the time of day.
The top of the plinth shows gouge marks and the dried remnants of adhesive that had been used to affix the plate to its housing.
Linda Nash, who lives nearby, noticed the missing plate when walking her dog on the evening of May 19. As she walked there regularly, she was fairly certain it had been there the previous day.
Linda said her grandchildren had enjoyed learning to tell the time from the sundial.
“I was shocked to see it gone. I’ve lived here for 17 years, and the sundial has been here for all of that time.”
The incident was a good reminder for the community to stay alert, she said.
Council manager area operations Sandra May said council was aware that the sundial plate had been taken and had reported the matter to police.
“We are disappointed with the theft of this item, which was installed for the enjoyment of the community,” she said.
Judging from aerial photos, Auckland Council believed the sundial in Maygrove Park was installed sometime between 1996 and 2001, but could provide no further information.
Two scrap metal dealers in Silverdale and a large one on the North Shore said they had not been offered the item but would keep a lookout. They agreed the sundial apparatus would be an unusual piece of metal for someone to bring in, and would raise suspicions.
The NZ Association of Metal Recyclers said it works actively to fight the problem of metal theft, and encourages victims of theft to report both to police and on the association’s website (nzamr.org.nz), which has a “Report stolen metals” feature.
“No professional metal recycler wants to be associated with the problem of stolen metals,” said the association’s president, Glen Jacobs. “Items like the sundial will be more valuable in their original state than when sold as scrap.”
Can any reader shed any light on the history of the sundial in Maygrove Park? Please get in touch if you can.
