Bowring Park (St. John's)
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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. The park land was 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. The park was officially opened by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught.
The area was once a piece of farmland known as Rae Island. R.H.K. Cochius was the developer and the park was officially opened on July 15, 1914. 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 Newfoundland Park at Beaumont Hamel 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.
The Peter Pan was erected in memory of Sir Edgar Bowring's godchild, 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.
The park has expanded to incorporate some of the surrounding areas known for their natural beauty. The original tract of land was 50 acres; in recent years, it has acquired land once the estate of Sir Richard Squires, known as Midstream.
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