Location: Botanical Gardens, Georgetown
Classification: Commemorative Monument
Period/ Year Built: 1969
Historical Background / Description:
The Place of the Seven Ponds, also referred to as ‘Place of Heroes’, is located in the Botanical Gardens, Georgetown, and was designed by Guyanese architect Mr. George Henry. It was built following the internment of Governor-General, Sir David Rose on the site in 1969. The monument is made up of seven ponds, a circular central pond with a sculpture in the middle and six segmented circular ponds evenly around in a radial pattern. The sculpture is approximately 5.8 metres (19 feet) in height and has an ‘x’ shape when viewed from above. It is made up of two interlocking elements that are concaved at the sides and arched at the bottom and top.
Buried at the Place of the Seven Ponds are four Guyanese who contributed to the development of the country. The first person to be buried there was His Excellency, Governor-General, Sir David Gardiner Rose, G.C.M.C, C.U.O, M.B.E. Sir David Rose was born on April 10, 1923 and was appointed Governor General in 1966 where he served up until the time of his death on November 10, 1969. The second is National Poet, Mr. Martin Carter, born on June 7, 1927 and died on December 13, 1997. The third is Executive President and Prime Minister Hugh Desmond Hoyte, born on March 9, 1929 and died on December 22, 2002. Mr. Hoyte served as the first Vice-President and Prime Minister in 1984 and later President of Guyana from 1985 to 1992. The fourth is President Arthur Chung, born on January 10, 1918 and died on June 23, 2008. Mr. Chung served as Guyana’s first President from March 17, 1970 to October 6, 1980.
