Alan Gibbs, a NZ businessman, was involved in manufacturing and investment banking during the 1960s and 70s and subsequently played a key role in public sector reform under the 1984 Labour Government. He oversaw the establishment of the NZ Forestry Corporation as well as advised the government on restructuring the public health and welfare systems.
An art collector since the 1960s he began the development of a sculpture park in 1991 on his 1,000 acre (405 ha) farm property located on the Kaipara Harbour north of Helensville. His concept was to commission open brief large scale works from specific artists and with assistance from his son-in-law, architect Noel Lane, to provide the engineering and construction support in installing the resulting creative designs.
The sculpture park is not open to the general public, but visits are available by special arrangement to groups from community agencies. My visit was on a brilliant sunny day, 16 November 2025, hosted by the Auckland Art Gallery as a fundraising event 10am to 2.30pm.
The walking trail throughout the park is in places hilly and steep, covering some 6 to 7 km with the full circuit taking around 3 to 4 hours. The scale of the site is indicated in the two views below, the first being at the fence near the upper parking area for the day’s outing.
This skyline view over to the western boundary of the farm has three sculptures right on the ridgeline, Horizons (the white patch on the second hilltop from the left), Sea/Sky Kaipara (on the third hilltop from the left) and Dismemberment, Site 1 (the dark item in the hollow between the third and fourth hilltops from the left). The fence I am standing by is actually one of the sculptures [Green and White Fence (1999/2001)]. It initially stretched 544 metres with posts 4m apart along the top of the ridge line. Subsequently the farm extended this fencing to become the main form of fence throughout the property.
This telephoto skyline view over to the east boundary covers left to right the cattle enclosure, the giraffe sculpture, Jacob’s Ladder (2017), Sentinels (2017) and a live giraffe (one of the two on the farm). The green and white fence posts are now everywhere around the farm.
The Sentinels (2017) are halfway down the slope from the upper carpark to the lower lake —–
—– with the walking track falling steeply away beyond their place on the ridge.
Nearby is the Untitled (Red Square/Black Square) (1994) viewed here from the front —–
—–and here from the back.
Further down in the valley you can see The Mermaid (1999) and above it on the ridge the 8 columns of 88.5° ARCx8 (2012).
The Art Gallery staff guide at The Mermaid was there to remind visitors of the “NO CLIMBING” notice as it could be tempting to use the work as a bridge across the ornamental lake.
Climbing up the valley this concrete block Pyramid (Keystone NZ) (1997) was massive —-
—- when viewed from any angle. While inspecting it the fountain in the main lake burst into activity —–
—— cycling between several flow patterns —–
—– and continuing displays throughout the rest of the day.
Red Cloud Confrontation in Landscape (1996) comprised 25 concrete cubes coloured with mixing of red, yellow and blue.
The Neil Dawson Horizons (1994) hilltop sculpture (which is visible from the main highway Helensville to Wellsford) was under wraps for maintenance work after 31 years of exposure to the Kaipara weather.
This is one of the most notable sculptures on the farm, reckoned by some to show a huge sheet of corrugated iron, with this view sourced from the internet at CC BY-NC 2.0 by RobiNZ.
Close to the highest point on the farm is Sea/Sky Kaipara (1994) —–
—– inspired by “the changing nature of the estuary and its reflections” [Artist Graham Bennett].
Nearby in a specially constructed hollow in the ridge sits ——-
—– Dismemberment, Site 1 which is the signature sculpture on most publicity relating to the Gibbs Farm. It is hardly visible in the first photo in this series as taken alongside the fence near the carpark, nor in this shot from ——
—— the climb up to Horizons (the dark item in the hollow between the two hilltops on the skyline) but a telephoto view from this same location shows —–
—— the structure dwarfing visitors. Each of the two squashed oval end pieces (ellipses) comprises a 45 tonne steel structural element which required two cranes (one of 100 tonne capacity, the other 50 tonne capacity) to lift and anchor them in place. Then a vast PVC membrane was stretched between the two trumpet shaped ends.
Close up you can look right through the structure.
I could not resist taking a “selfie” looking back along the outside length of this massive piece of art.
Beyond the front end of Dismemberment, Site 1 you can see the lower carpark and other sculptures scattered here and there in the landscape.
Looking east beyond the northern end of Dismemberment, Site 1 is the 8 columns of 88.5° ARCx8 (2012) on the ridge-top in the distance.
I take one last view of the impressive scale of this work as I head down to the harbour edge —–
—– to view Arches (2005) constructed with Pink Leadhill sandstone blocks quarried in Scotland not far where Gibbs’ family forebears came from.
Climbing back up onto the main ridge I passed the 27m tall 88.5° ARCx8 (2012) as I headed for —–
—– Jacobs Ladder (2017) —–
—– with its 480 steel tubes in various sizes stacked to twist and spiral upward to the sky.
The animal enclosures were downslope from here, passing longhorn and ——
—– highland cattle, with —–
—– water buffalo on the lower slope at lakeside.
In addition to the two live giraffe on the farm there was also a corrugated iron and steel sculpture —–
—– Giraffe (2011-2012) on the hillside above the animal enclosures.
Back lakeside at the lower carpark level I passed ——-
—— Floating Island of the Immortals (2006) ——
—– before heading up the hill toward the upper carpark past these Pitt Island merino sheep.
Halfway up the hill on my left I viewed Tango Dancers (2014) and on my right —–
—– Easy K (2005) floating above the water held in place by tension between ridged pipes and cables.
The last exhibit on the return to the carpark was the inclined wall Te Tuhirangi Contour (1999/2001) comprising 280m of 6m high and 50mm thick steel plates with ——
—— a well beaten walking trail around its edge.
So, as I looked back down the valley from near the carpark —-
—– with the farm’s alpaca herd grazing on the skyline behind me I reflected on what a magnificent experience this sculpture walk visit had been, well worth the $100 entry fee for the day.
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