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Band Rotunda in The Square decorated for Coronation Celebrations and Royal Visit

Description: As part of the celebrations for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953, a large representation of the Crown of St Edward the Confessor was constructed ontop of the band rotunda in Te Marae o Hine, The Square. At night this was illuminated with coloured lights. The Manawatu Evening Standard reported that: "Those who have admired it and appreciated the effort and planning behind its erection will be pleased to learn that its brief existence is not to end with an immediate inglorious dismantling. It has been recommended to the City Council that the crown should remain where it is until the visit of Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in January of next year. The intention is to illuminate it on Friday nights" (MES, 3 June 1953).