The familiar statue of two cherubs erected in 1889 in honour of the then city mayor, W H Currie, has been refurbished and is now installed at the Durban Botanical Gardens.

The Fountain was built to commemorate Currie’s decision to allow boreholes to be drilled in Durban’s Botanical Gardens. The well, which was created in 1873, provided the city with about 50,000 gallons of water a day.

The two-ton cast-iron fountain has an elongated trough at its base and a 3m pole with a light on top. The central feature has fish swimming up the tower and is flanked by cherubs on either side. Ironically, Keith Clayton, who restored the fountain, recalls scratching his name in the light green paint years ago, when the fountain stood outside Crystal Corner in Point Road. In the early days, horse riders were said to tie their horses at the fountain and allow them to drink from the trough. The worksmanship is a tribute to the skills of past tradesmen.