More Info →An Early View of The Lakelet

The lakelet was the main feature of the last quadrant of The Square to be developed by the Beautifying Society. James Nash, Mayor of Palmerston North at the time, opened the Lakelet before a crowd on October 27 1909. The Lakelet is shaped as a butterfly, with the 'wings' bisected by a bridge as its body. It is also referred to as the Butterfly Lake. The small domed structure to the right is the Observatory. Constructed in 1903, it was demolished in 1938 after falling into a very dilapidated state. The domed structure to the left is the Band Rotunda. This is the second rotunda to sit in The Square. The first was constructed in 1889 and moved to the Victoria Esplanade in 1907 to make way for the structure in this photograph. The second rotunda was demolished in 1956 to make way for the Hopwood Clock Tower.