South African War Memorial (Individual) - Clement Wiggins (1903)

A memorial to Trooper Clement Edward Wiggins (1872-1900) who died in South Africa during the Second Anglo-Boer War was erected overlooking the main lake in Pukekura Park (then known as the Recreation Ground) in 1903. Made of polished grey Aberdeen granite on a base of Melbourne bluestone, the obelisk was paid for by Wiggins' former colleagues at the Bank of New South Wales in Eltham and New Plymouth. The area subsequently became known as Monument Hill.

Inscription from a photo published in the Auckland Weekly News:

In memorium Clement Edward Wiggins (Third South African Contingent) died of enteric fever at Germiston South Africa 13 July 1900 aged 27 years

Erected by the officers of the Bank of New South Wales, New Zealand subscribed by his brother officers

The monument was later vandalised, with a newspaper report in the Taranaki Daily News dated 19 May 1919 noting that "the marble column of this monument has been violently wrenched from its position and thrown down. In falling it smashed some of the iron railing and stanchions of the concrete pedestal." The remnants of the monument were removed following the vandalism but why it was not re-erected elsewhere is unknown. Wiggins is also commemorated on the Pūkākā-Marsland Hill and St Mary's Cathedral memorials in New Plymouth and, as a former Christchurch resident, on the Christchurch and Sumner memorials as well.