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Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd Monument - Central Dunedin

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Details:

On the east edge of the park.


Monument

A bronze bust on a marble pedestal of Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd overlooking the port city of Dunedin, from which the late explorer sailed on his first Antarctic expedition. Given to the city by the National Geographic Society, the bust was unveiled in Unity Park on October 31, 1967, by the U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand, the Honorable John F. Henning. On the front side of the pedestal, a bronze plaque on the half-ton, black-granite base commemorates Admiral Byrd's antarctic achievements. A map on the back of the pedestal could also be seen featuring Dunedin.

 

On a pedestal near the statue is a bronze medallion depicting the relationship of Dunedin to Little America. Like the bust at McMurdo Station, the Dunedin bust is a partial copy of a full-length statue on the "Avenue of Heroes" in Washington, D.C. The only other such copy is in the National Geographic Society's Washington headquarters. 

 

Memorials to Byrd can be found in two cities in New Zealand (Wellington and Dunedin). Apparently, the bust of Byrd is identical to the one at McMurdo station. Byrd used New Zealand as his departure point for several of his Antarctic flights. In 1928 Rear Admiral Richard Byrd sailed to Antarctica from Dunedin. This was the first expedition to explore Antarctica by air.

Source of information: www.southpolestation.com, hazelthenut.jimdofree.com, military-history.fandom.com

Source of photos: www.southpolestation.com, waymarking.com

Monument Text:

RICHARD EVELYN BYRD

REAR ADMIRAL UNITED STATES NAVY

OCTOBER 25, 1888 – MARCH 11, 1957

 

FROM DUNEDIN ON DECEMBER 2, 1928,

SAILED THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND

THE ELEANOR BOLLING TO CARRY TO

ANTARCTICA UNDER ADMIRAL BYRD’S

COMMAND THE FIRST EXPEDITION TO

EXPLORE THE FROZEN CONTINENT

BY AIR. UNDER THE VALIANT LEADER-

SHIP OF THE “ADMIRAL OF THE ENDS

OF THE EARTH,” FIVE ANTARCTIC

EXPEDITIONS 1928 – 1957, REVEALED

THE SECRETS OF HALF THE GREAT

WHITE CONTINENT.

 

THIS MONUMENT IS PRESENTED TO

THE CITY OF DUNEDIN BY THE

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY.

Commemorates:

People:

Richard Evelyn, Jr. Byrd

Units:

United States Navy

Other images :