Nixon Memorial in South Auckland

The Colonel Marmaduke George Nixon statue (‘Nixon memorial’) stands at the intersection of Mangere and Great South roads in Otahuhu, a suburb of South Auckland, New Zealand. A contentious figure in New Zealand colonial history, the suitability of the public-nature of the memorial was called into question in 2017 after a petition was launched to relocate it. The petition drew on contested understandings of New Zealand’s colonial history and incited community debate. Despite this, the memorial still stands and questions remain as to what this means for the engagement of New Zealand society and politics with the indigenous Māori population.