Type Urban park Operated by City of St. John's Area 81 ha Phone +1 709-364-1531 | Created July 15 1914 Status Open all year Province Newfoundland and Labrador | |
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Location St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Address 305 Waterford Bridge Rd, St. John's, NL A1E 1E7, Canada Hours Open today ยท Open 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursTuesdayOpen 24 hoursWednesdayOpen 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hours Similar Cabot Tower, Johnson Geo Centre, Cape Spear, East Coast Trail, The Rooms | ||
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.
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History
The land that Bowring Park currently occupies was originally a farm owned by William Thorburn known as Rae Island. The land was purchased and 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. Frederick Todd created the design and Rudolph Cochius was the landscape architect for the original section of the park. The park was officially opened by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught on July 15, 1914.
The park has expanded to incorporate some of the surrounding areas known for their natural beauty. The original tract of land was 50 acres (200,000 m2) on the east side of the park. In the 1970s the park acquired 150 acres (610,000 m2) of land that once belonged to Sir Richard Squires, known as Midstream. The boundary between the old and new sections of the park is the overpass bridge near the swimming pool.
Attractions
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 the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park 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 grandchild, 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.