Fountain in Auckland’s Mission Bay dyed red on Anzac Day morning, police investigating

• Auckland’s Mission Bay fountain was dyed red in an apparent Anzac Day protest.
• Councillor Desley Simpson condemned the act, describing it as wilful damage of public property.
• Police are assessing the incident, which involved cordial or red dye being poured into the water.

A famous Auckland fountain has been dyed bright red in an apparent protest on the morning of Anzac Day.

Deputy Mayor of Auckland Desley Simpson shared images of the blood-red Trevor Moss Davis Memorial Fountain in Mission Bay on Facebook.

In an apparent protest, a famous Auckland fountain has been dyed bright red on the morning of Anzac Day today. Photo / Desley Simpson

Simpson said, “I respect the right for peaceful protest What I don’t respect or condone is willfull [sic] damage of public property.

“Our wonderful Mission Bay fountain was only cleaned yesterday! A police report has been done, we have CCTV in the area and another clean will occur today.”

In an apparent protest, a famous Auckland fountain has been dyed bright red on the morning of Anzac Day today. Photo / Desley Simpson

Police said they received a report over the counter at a police station mid-morning today from someone who was at the fountain about 5am to help set up for the Anzac Service.

“They reported seeing people near the fountain and on closer inspection they discovered that the water had been dyed red.”

Police said a report was made to them by someone who appears to be a council contractor.

The report is in the very initial stages of assessment, police said

Mission Bay fountain colours

This is not the first time the Mission Bay fountain water was dyed a bright red.

Kids have no problem of the colour of the water in the Mission Bay fountain, which is bright red. Photo / Dean Purcell

In January of 2018, there was speculation that the red colour could be blood or even some strange bacteria breeding in the waters, but it was found to be cordial or red dye.

Auckland Council’s head of operational management and maintenance community facilities, Agnes McCormack, said contractors had been down to check the fountain after reports of a change in colour at the harbourside pool.

“It appears someone has put a bottle of cordial or red dye into the water,” McCormack said at the time.

The change in the water’s colour did not deter people from taking a dip at the suburban Auckland attraction.

In 2020, an Auckland man says he was horrified to find Mission Bay’s Trevor Moss Davis Memorial Fountain a slimy green and the public toilets blocked and filthy.

Greg Hurt said he was horrified to find Mission Bay's iconic Trevor Moss Davis Memorial Fountain a slime-tinged green. Photo / Supplied

Greg Hurt was showing visiting friends from Australia around the area just before Christmas, but said they were all disgusted at what they saw.

“The fountain was green, because people had been swimming in it.

“The public toilets were just disgusting,” he told the Herald.

Auckland Council’s acting head of maintenance and operations, Julie Pickering, said that despite the no-swimming sign at the Trevor Moss Davis Memorial Fountain, people continued to bathe in it.

“We would like to remind everyone that entering the fountain is not allowed,” she said.

“Not only is it dangerous for children, the water is untreated and it is not supervised by a lifeguard.”

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