The fountain in the Palmerston North Square was constructed in 1902 to commemorate both the Coronation of King Edward VII and the twenty fifth anniversary of the incorporation of the Borough of Palmerston North. It was placed in the central area of The Square, which was the focal point of the town. The monument is commonly known as the ‘Coronation Memorial’ and was originally designed as a ‘spray and drinking’ fountain that may have included a dog drinking fountain and cups hung from the bowl on chains to drink from.

Celebration of King Edward’s rise to the throne was marked by the erection of a number of coronation memorials throughout the country, including a lamp in Arrowtown and a sea wall in Auckland; this being the first event of its kind to have occurred since the foundation of New Zealand as a British colony. The trend continued as monuments were constructed to commemorate the coronation of King George V in 1911. The monument was designed by Napier architect C.A Vautier and carved by Palmerston North mason Samuel Dowdall. Dowdall was for a time the only monumental mason between Wellington and Whanganui and would continue in his career to contribute to the Te Peeti Awe Awe monument, also in The Square. It is of a Gothic design, featuring a small spire, with buttresses at the base, tre-foil relief and crockets at the corners. A shallow basin extended the circumference of the fountain, into which the carved lion heads spouted water. It is constructed from Oamaru stone. The foundation stone was laid on the 11th of August 1902 by Mayor W.T Wood, witnessed by a large concourse of people. Three inscribed stones honour the coronation and borough celebrations, a further stone commemorates the proclamation of Palmerston North as a city in 1930.

It was moved in 1925-6 from the centre of The Square to the West quadrant. This move was to accommodate the War Memorial and changes to the Railway line. The original base consisting of a series of three octagonal steps was destroyed including four carved bluestone blocks which anchored the fountain to the steps. The monument functioned in this space until 1990 when the water was turned off and the fountain dish and associated pond were planted as gardens. During the 2005 ‘City Heart’ restructuring of The Square, the Coronation Memorial was moved again, into the North quadrant of The Square. This move allowed for the memorial to be reinstated with its original design feature of the octagonal base steps. Restoration of the monument was also undertaken by sculptor and fountain restorer Mark Whyte who replaced the spire crown and some floral embellishments. He also had the remaining paint removed and carved new steps from Timaru bluestone. It is currently again a functioning fountain.

The Coronation Memorial is a good representative design using appropriate materials. The fountain is an excellent example of stonework and is of aesthetic significance for its design. The Memorial is of historical significance as a coronation memorial and for its commemoration of twenty five years since Palmerston North was incorporated as a borough. It holds patriotic significance as it symbolises New Zealand’s ties to the British Royalty and the celebration of local achievements.