William Henry Feldon

He is best known for his series of First World War memorials—where annual Anzac Day services are held—and his contributions to iconic public buildings in New York, New Zealand, and England.

[2] Feldon attended school at Exeter College, Oxford from the age of six years, where he won a singing scholarship.

[2] On 23 September 1894, Feldon married Catherine Martha Tyrrell Walker of Oxford at St Margaret's Church, Barking, Essex.

Ark Mariners, Past Second Principal of both Te Awamutu and Southern Cross Chapters and was a Prime Rose Croix, holding Various Grand Lodge Positions.

He was subsequently promoted to Brigade Major of the Auckland Mounted Rifles, becoming Area Officer from Rotorua to Ōpōtiki, with headquarters at Tauranga.

In the late 1890s, Feldon started his own studio in Cornfield Road, Eastbourne, East Essex where he advertised himself as an architectural sculptor and modeller in marble, stone, cement, and wood.

In March 1918, Feldon completed a figure study of Nurse Edith Cavell for above the entrance to the new Princess Mary Hospital for Children in Auckland.

The Mount Somers stone statue is life size and displayed the nurse in her Red Cross uniform.

[1] In early 1919, Feldon was commissioned to create works for the new All Souls Roman Catholic Church in Devonport, including label moulds for the window and sanctuary arches, then the main altar from Oamaru stone.

[1] In Sir James' opinion, to ‘express high ideals’ and ‘replicate the monuments of older civilisations’, then only foreign artists and those from ‘the mother country’ should be hired as they had the ‘experience and talent to produce them.’[5] As a result, most communities chose 'catalogue' obelisks and sculptures made in Carrara, Italy factories instead of using New Zealand sculptors and materials.

[2] From his new studio, he carved the Matakana, Papakura-Karaka, Arawa, Helensville-Mairetahi, Mercer, Bombay, Pokeno, Oratia, Hikurangi, and Otahuhu World War I memorials.

Feldon eventually carved more war memorials than all other New Zealand sculptors (such as William Trethewey, Richard Gross, Carlo Bergamini, and Jack Lynch) combined.

[1] During his prolific career, Feldon displayed the full range of his craft, adapting Romanesque Revival, Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Gothic, Italianate style, Art-Nouveau, Edwardian Baroque, Stripped Classicism, and Art Deco styles for local materials and conditions.

His stoic, Stripped Classicism statues were distinctive from the 'determined, unrefined realism'[7] of other New Zealand-based sculptors at the time.

Feldon's name appears on the Te Awamutu Masonic Lodge's Roll of Honour.
Feldon carving a statue of Sir Joseph Ward , 1929.
Feldon and his wife's grave, Purewa Cemetery.