Last updated June 2026
The Square, known by its Maori name Te Marae o Hine (the courtyard of the daughter of peace), is the 17-acre / 7-hectare central park of Palmerston North and the geographic heart of the city. Designed by surveyor J. T. Stewart in 1866 when the township was laid out from native bush, the central square has been a public gathering space for more than 160 years and is surrounded by the city centre’s shops, cafes and civic buildings.
The park combines wide lawns, mature trees, ornamental gardens, a duck pond and a giant outdoor chess set with significant heritage features: the 1957 Hopwood Clock Tower, the 1926 Cenotaph, the 1902 Coronation Fountain, the Te Peeti Te Aweawe memorial and a 1990 set of carved pou honouring Rangitane ancestors. It hosts farmers markets, festivals and major civic events year round.
Practical Information
| Location | Central Palmerston North, bounded by Main St, Church St, Coleman Pl and Fitzherbert Ave |
| Maori name | Te Marae o Hine – the courtyard of the daughter of peace |
| Size | 17 acres / 7 hectares |
| Established | 1866 (laid out in J. T. Stewart’s town plan); Maori name formally adopted later |
| Key features | Hopwood Clock Tower (1957), Cenotaph (1926), Coronation Fountain (1902, combined with fish pond 1925), duck pond, Rangitane pou carvings (1990), Te Peeti Te Aweawe memorial |
| Open | Open public space, 24 hours |
| Cost | Free |
| Facilities | Seating, toilets nearby, surrounding cafes and shops, I-SITE visitor centre |
About The Square
The Square sits at the geographic centre of Palmerston North and has been the city’s main public space since the township was laid out in 1866. Surveyor J. T. Stewart placed a large central square in the original town plan, and the space (referred to early on as ‘The Flat’) remained largely untouched while the surrounding streets and buildings grew up around it.
In 1878 Rangitane and Ngati Raukawa petitioned for the Square to carry the Maori name Te Marae o Hine: the courtyard of the daughter of peace, a name chosen to symbolise different cultures and tribes coexisting peacefully in Papaioea (the Maori name for Palmerston North). The name request was unsuccessful at the time but is now formally recognised, and Te Marae o Hine appears alongside The Square in council and tourism material.
Today the Square functions as the city’s living room: lunch spot for office workers, weekend picnic ground for families, venue for the Manawatu Farmers Market, ice skating in winter and major civic ceremonies including Anzac Day at the Cenotaph. The surrounding ring of buildings includes the city library, the former Chief Post Office building, hotels, banks and the I-SITE visitor centre.
Hopwood Clock Tower
The Hopwood Clock Tower is the central landmark of the Square. The clock and chimes were originally installed in the Chief Post Office of Palmerston North when it opened in 1906, and the British-built clock and chimes were named Kerei Te Panau for the Rangitane rangatira by Ellen Wood, wife of then Palmerston MP William Wood.
In 1953 local businessman Arthur Hopwood gifted the city ten thousand pounds to build a new tower in the Square to house the clock and chimes, and the tower was completed in 1957. The tower was refurbished in 2007 and is now topped with a lantern-style cross. Note: the clock is famous locally for running slow, a quirk covered by the NZ Herald and well known to Palmerston North residents.
Cenotaph, Fountain and Pou Carvings
The Cenotaph at the southern end of the Square was constructed in 1926 and unveiled by then Prime Minister J. G. Coates. It is a copy of the Folkestone, England cenotaph and commemorates the men of the district who died in the First World War; later additions honour those lost in the Second World War and subsequent conflicts. Anzac Day dawn services are held here each year.
The King Edward VII Coronation Memorial Fountain was built in 1902 to mark the coronation of Edward VII, and in 1925 it was combined with a concrete fish pond to form one of the Square’s most photographed features. A memorial to Te Peeti Te Aweawe, the Rangitane chief instrumental in the 1865 sale of the Palmerston North district to the government, stands nearby.
In 1990 a set of carved pou was installed honouring the Square’s Maori name. The carvings were created by John Bevan Ford (Ngati Raukawa), Warren Warbrick and Johnson Takarangi, commissioned by the Rangitane Maori Committee and Palmerston North City Council. The pou depict Rangitane ancestors flanked by his grandmothers Reretua and Hinerau.
Events and What’s On
The Square is the main outdoor events venue for Palmerston North. The Manawatu Farmers Market runs Saturday mornings on the eastern side; the city hosts Christmas in the Park, New Year’s Eve celebrations, the Anzac Day dawn service at the Cenotaph, multicultural festivals and a seasonal ice skating rink. Eventfinda lists The Square as one of the city’s most-used outdoor venues.
Between events the Square functions as everyday public space: feeding ducks at the pond, using the giant chess set, lunch on the lawns, walking the perimeter or sitting under the trees. The I-SITE visitor centre on the Square is a useful first stop for travellers.
What Visitors Often Say
Visitors describe the Square as well kept, attractively landscaped and the clear centre of the city, with the Hopwood Clock Tower as the recognisable focal point and the duck pond, giant chess set, war cenotaph and pou carvings drawing positive specific mentions. Many people find it a useful relaxing stop while exploring the surrounding shops, cafes and the city library.
Practical observations: the Square is at its best at lunch hour on a sunny weekday and on farmers market Saturday mornings; the I-SITE visitor centre on the Square is a useful first stop; the seasonal ice skating rink (typically June to August) is popular with families; some reviewers note groups of youth gathering in the evenings as a deterrent but the daytime atmosphere is consistently described as pleasant.
Where to Learn More
Manawatu Heritage: Te Marae o Hine, The Square: Palmerston North City Council heritage record with archival photos and full history of the Square and the Maori name.
Manawatu Heritage: Hopwood Clock Tower: full council heritage record covering the clock’s 1906 Post Office origins and the 1953 Hopwood gift / 1957 tower construction.
PNCC News: Rangitane ancestral leader honoured in Te Marae o Hine: council article on the pou carvings and Rangitane connection to the Square.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Maori name for The Square?
Te Marae o Hine, meaning the courtyard of the daughter of peace. The name was first requested by Rangitane and Ngati Raukawa in 1878 and is now formally recognised alongside The Square.
How big is The Square?
17 acres / 7 hectares of central city park.
When was the Clock Tower built?
The Hopwood Clock Tower in the Square was completed in 1957, funded by a ten thousand pound gift from Arthur Hopwood in 1953. The clock itself dates from 1906 and was originally housed in the Chief Post Office of Palmerston North.
Why is the clock called Kerei Te Panau?
The clock was named in 1906 for the Rangitane rangatira Kerei Te Panau, by Ellen Wood (wife of then Palmerston MP William Wood) when the British-built clock and chimes were installed in the Chief Post Office.
What events are held in The Square?
The Manawatu Farmers Market (Saturday mornings), Anzac Day dawn service at the Cenotaph, Christmas in the Park, New Year’s Eve celebrations, multicultural festivals and a seasonal ice skating rink (typically June to August).
Is The Square free to visit?
Yes. It is an open public park, accessible 24 hours.
What are the pou carvings about?
The three pou were carved in 1990 by John Bevan Ford (Ngati Raukawa), Warren Warbrick and Johnson Takarangi, depicting the Rangitane ancestor Rangitane flanked by his grandmothers Reretua and Hinerau, honouring the Maori name Te Marae o Hine.
For more central city stops, see the historical and cultural sites hub or parks and reserves in Palmerston North.
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