Heritage
MacCoy Fountain
A granite drinking fountain on Wellington Street, given to the town in 1915 by Councillor John MacCoy in memory of his wife Rebecca, Mayoress of Gateshead in 1912–13 and 1913–14.
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| Address | Wellington Street |
|---|---|
| Street | Wellington Street |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Confidence | C · confirmed |
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Where it is
NZ 2539 6347 OS grid · 54.96526, -1.60492
The inscription, in gilded capitals on pink granite under a carved shell canopy, reads in full: “1915. This fountain was presented to the public by Councillor John MacCoy in memory of his late wife Rebecca, Mayoress of Gateshead 1912–13 · 1913–14.” So it is a memorial as much as a piece of street furniture, put up in the second year of the war for a woman who had been the town’s Mayoress two years running. Who John MacCoy was beyond his council seat, and whether the fountain has always stood on Wellington Street, are not yet recorded.
Beside it stands the council’s information board “Gateshead – An Early Railway Town”, with old photographs of Gateshead West station and the Greenesfield works; its story is told on our history page.
- The fountain's own inscription, photographed September 2026
- Andy, on the ground (location)