William Henry Feldon

William Henry Feldon (1871–1945) was an English sculptor active in New Zealand. Feldon studied at Oxford University and worked for Farmer & Brindley in London before travelling to the United States for work. Feldon started his own practice in Sussex and later moved to New Zealand. Most of Feldon's later work were memorials for soldiers of the First World War. Early life William Henry Feldon was born 16 June 1871 in Oxford, England. Feldon studied at Oxford University at Exeter College. New Zealand Feldon lived in Wellington and one of his first works was carving and modelling the panels for the Government House. Feldon moved to Auckland and worked on the carvings for numerous buildings, especially on Queen Street, notably the Auckland Town Hall, Auckland Ferry Building, St Paul's Church, Symonds Street. Following the end of the war Feldon moved to Victoria Street, Auckland and offered his services for crafting war memorials to mayors and county chairmen across the country. Despite a belief that craftsmen from Europe should create these memorials Feldon managed to secure contracts for several war memorials such as a statute of Edith Cavell for the Auckland Children's Hospital, a statute of King George V for the Matakana War Memorial, the Bombay Domain Memorial Gates, the Arawa Memorial in Rotorua, and the Papakura-Karaka Memorial. Feldon continued to work as a sculptor until 1939. Kemp Monument In 1911, Feldon was hired to sculpt a monument of Major Kemp. This turned out to be quite a controversial work due to the liquidation of the firm that was contracted for the monument and a refusal to pay from Kemp's sister due to her belief the statue did not resemble her father's likeness. The case went to court the judge ruled against Kemp's sister; however, this judgement was set aside and Justice Chapman ruled in favour of Kemp's sister. This decision was appealed and a new trial was granted.

Feldon did some work on the bronze statue, but it came from London. Scheduled with Auckland Council as category A and registered as a category 1 structure by Heritage New Zealand In memoriam pioneer women, Garden of Memories, Howick 1939 alt=A white stone statue of an adult woman wearing a long, elegant dress. She holds a bouquet that has been painted blue. Statue erected in honour of pioneer women in Emilia Maud Nixon's Garden of Memories, Uxbridge Road, Howick