Queen Victoria Statue - Christchurch, New Zealand - New Zealand Historic Places on Waymarking.com

"The Statue of Queen Victoria by British sculptor Francis J. Williamson was unvielded in 1903

Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Square.. The bronze statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square commemorates the Golden Jubilee of the founding of the Canterbury Settlement (1900).

It is also a memorial to those soldiers of Canterbury (79 in number) who were killed in the South African War between 1900-1902.

The foundation stone was laid on 22 June 1901 by His Royal Highness, The Duke of Cornwall and York (afterwards King George V), and the statue was unveiled on 25 May 1903 by the Mayoress, Mrs H. F. Wigram. The statue was sculpted by British sculptor Francis J. Williamson.

The bronze statue of Queen Victoria is mounted on a large square stone base. There are six bronze inserts on the base depicting early colonial occupation. Two bronze plaques are also inset, one as a war memorial to the 1901 African War and the other naming the statue. A white marble plaque is inset at the base of the statue.

During the square redeveloppment she was moved form her grassy konoll to a tilled area with seating. The present location of the statue is about 50 metres from its original postition."

--Source (visit link)

Date location was entrusted to the New Zealand Historic places: 11/26/1981 Type of history commemorated (short description): The idea of erecting a statue to Queen Victoria in Christchurch was first considered as part of Canterbury Province's jubilee celebrations of 1900. The Mayor of Christchurch, William Reece, called for a monument that would commemorate not just the Queen, but also the Pakeha settlement of Canterbury, local industries and the soldiers fighting in the South African (Boer) War. The foundation stone was laid by the Duke of Cornwall and York in June 1901, but the statue did not arrive in New Zealand until January 1903. Website pertaining to the location: [Web Link] Town, city, or region nearest to the site: Christchurch, New Zealand Year placed: 1903 Admission fees if any: 0.00 (listed in local currency) Hours of operation: 24/7 Is it accessible to the general public: Yes

Visit Instructions:
Post a photo of yourself with your GPS next to the designated mark. Old vacation photos are also welcome as long as it is your photo. You may post a picture of the waymark with just your GPS in the picture if you are traveling alone. If you are not able to provide a photo, then please describe your visit or give a story about the visit.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.