Statue of Queen Victoria, Christchurch

Last updated

Queen Victoria Statue
Queen Victoria Statue, Christchurch, New Zealand 11.jpg
The Queen Victoria Statue in 2020
Statue of Queen Victoria, Christchurch
43°31′42″S172°38′10″E / 43.5284529°S 172.6361740°E / -43.5284529; 172.6361740
Location Christchurch Central City, Victoria Square, New Zealand
Designer Francis John Williamson
MaterialMarble
Completion date1900
Opening date23 May 1903 (1903-05-23), 7 April 1904 (1904-04-07)
Designated11 November 1981
Reference no.1916

The statue of Queen Victoria is a large bronze statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square, Christchurch. Sculpted by British artist Francis John Williamson, it was erected in 1903 as a monument to the Queen as well as the settlement of the Canterbury Province and a memorial to soldiers fighting in the South African wars. [1]

Contents

Background and creation

Queen Victoria, by Heinrich von Angeli (1899) Queen Victoria after Heinrich von Angeli.jpg
Queen Victoria, by Heinrich von Angeli (1899)

Queen Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom and the broader British Empire from 1837 to 1901. Celebrations and increased popularity following her Golden and Diamond Jubilees initiated a wave of public monuments to her across the Empire in the late 1800s, corresponding with a general international trend of nationalist sculpture and monument construction in the period. [2]

One of the four squares in central Christchurch became its original centre of commerce and it was thus known as Market Place. One of the original diagonal roads, then known as Whately Road, bisected Market Place. [3] When the era of provincial government ended and the administration of Christchurch was transferred to Christchurch City Council, street numbering was introduced. This opportunity for change was used to rename Whately Road and it became Victoria Street after the colony's monarch. [4]

History

Henry Harper's memorial in ChristChurch Cathedral, sculpted by Francis John Williamson Bishop Harper's memorial.jpg
Henry Harper's memorial in ChristChurch Cathedral, sculpted by Francis John Williamson

James Irving, a physician and surgeon whose property fronted onto Market Place, first proposed in 1894 that the area be renamed to Victoria Square as it was no longer used as a market. [5] Irving repeated his proposal and others agreed, but nothing came of it during his lifetime; he died in October 1900. [6] Patriotism was heightened during the Second Boer War, but it was the 50th jubilee of Christchurch that resulted in the Market Place to be renamed to Victoria Square as first suggested by Irving. A committee chaired by Henry Wigram was tasked with compiling proposals for the jubilee and to decide on them. The committee received 113 proposals for a permanent jubilee memorial. The most extensively debated proposal was to finish ChristChurch Cathedral but in the end, it was felt that this needs to progressed by the Anglican community. The second highest vote of the committee was for a statue of Queen Victoria. The compromise proposal of the mayor, William Reece, for an obelisk to commemorate the queen, the Canterbury pioneers, and those troopers who had died in the Boer War. The committee had, by the end of August 1900, agreed on a statue of Queen Victoria, with plaques commemorating fallen troopers and the Canterbury Pilgrims. Francis John Williamson was engaged as the sculptor as he had produced a replica of his 1887 Queen Victoria statue for 1899 Auckland statue and the effigy for Bishop Harper's tomb. Mayor Reece preferred a seated queen but Williamson pointed to that being far more expensive than a standing figure. [7]

There were other events to be organised for late 1900 by the jubilee committee. First, there was an industrial exhibition that was to coincide with the Canterbury A&P Show in early November. The other event was a civic procession in mid-December to celebrate the arrival of the Charlotte Jane and the Randolph , the first of the First Four Ships to have arrived. With those events out of the way, the committee decided in early January 1901 to order a standing statue and a granite pedestal, with bronze bas-reliefs to be fitted later as funds allowed. Queen Victoria died 12 days after that decision had been made and Wigram implored the committee to proceed with urgency, as he expected there to be a high demand for statues from throughout the Commonwealth. [8] Christchurch's leading newspaper, The Press , had previously favoured the cathedral completion project but was now supporting the statue. [9]

The city council considered three sites for the statue: [10]

James Bickerton Fisher, a member of the memorial committee, suggested that the statue be placed in the south-west corner of the Market Place; this was eventually agreed to. [13] Fisher also made the connection between Victoria Street, the Victoria statue, and Victoria Square all being co-located if the statue would be placed here. [14] By the end of March 1901, the city council decided to erect the statue in Market Place and change the square's name to Victoria Square with the unveiling of the statue. Soon after, council workers started to deposit soil and rubble in that corner of the square as to raise its elevation, giving the statue a more prominent placement. [15]

Prince George, Duke of Cornwall and York, giving a speech as part of laying the foundation stone on 22 June 1901 1901 royal tour - the Duke giving a speech in Victoria Square.jpg
Prince George, Duke of Cornwall and York, giving a speech as part of laying the foundation stone on 22 June 1901

In 1901, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and his wife Alexandra were planning an Empire tour. However, Queen Victoria's death meant that the couple had to prepare for a coronation in 1902. Edward's son Prince George, Duke of Cornwall and York, and his wife, Princess Mary, were assigned to undertake the voyage instead. [16] Central government paid for a wooden grandstand to be built in Armagh Street for old age pensioners and local dignitaries. [17] A dais with a canopy had been erected in case of inclement weather. Dignitaries present were the mayor (Arthur Rhodes), the premier (Richard Seddon), and Henry Wigram (as chair of the commissioners). Speakers were the mayor and the Duke, who responded to the mayor: [18]

Mr Mayor, ladies and gentlemen, we are happy to be here, and to be associated in this tribute of affection to our late dearly beloved Queen. I should say to you, teach your children to look up to it as a memorial of her, whose life was a noble example of devotion to duty, of tender sympathy with, and loving regard for, the wellbeing of her people, to us all a priceless heritage. And I can assure you that both the Duchess and I are greatly touched by the very kind and hearty welcome which has been given to-day by the people of Christchurch.

For the bas-reliefs, local artists were invited to provide designs. Charles Kidson's designs were forwarded to Williamson, who improved on them. [19] As Wigram had expected, there was a logjam at the Burton foundry, but the benefit was that the list of dead troopers could be further considered. Instead of just listing dead troopers who were members of the third contingent, [b] it was decided that all troopers who were born in Canterbury would be listed. [19]

The statue arrived in New Zealand in January 1903, with only one of the six bronze plaques included, but it was unveiled nonetheless on 25 May 1903. [21] Another unveiling ceremony took place on 7 April 1904 once the remaining plaques had been completed. [1] This ceremony was led by Lord Ranfurly, Governor of New Zealand. [22] The statue did not sustain any significant damage in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. [23]

Design

The statue depicts Queen Victoria wearing coronial robes and carrying a sceptre. Around the base of the statue are six bronze relief panels dedicated to the early European settlers of Canterbury and the industries of the area. There are also two plaques memorialising the New Zealand soldiers who fought in the Second Boer War, and a simple plaque with Victoria's name and dates. [1] The plinth on which the statue stands is granite. [9]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ This site was used in 1917 for the statue of Robert Falcon Scott. [11] [12]
  2. ↑ Ten contingents were sent to South Africa from New Zealand. The third contingent was organised by the mayor of Christchurch and made up of two companies, one from Canterbury and one from the Hawke's Bay. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Memorial, London</span> Public memorial by Thomas Brock

The Victoria Memorial is a monument to Queen Victoria, located at the end of The Mall in London by the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock. Designed in 1901, it was unveiled on 16 May 1911, though it was not completed until 1924. It was the centrepiece of an ambitious urban planning scheme, which included the creation of the Queen’s Gardens to a design by Sir Aston Webb, and the refacing of Buckingham Palace by the same architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Frampton</span> British sculptor (1860-1928)

Sir George James Frampton, was a British sculptor. He was a leading member of the New Sculpture movement in his early career when he created sculptures with elements of Art Nouveau and Symbolism, often combining various materials such as marble and bronze in a single piece. While his later works were more traditional in style, Frampton had a prolific career in which he created many notable public monuments, including several statues of Queen Victoria and later, after World War I, a number of war memorials. These included the Edith Cavell Memorial in London, which, along with the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens are possibly Frampton's best known works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Wigram</span> New Zealand politician, aviator and businessman (1857–1934)

Sir Henry Francis Wigram was a New Zealand businessman, politician and aviation promoter. He is best known for his role in developing a public transport system in Christchurch and as a key player in the establishment of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Edward Alfred Briscoe Drury was a British architectural sculptor and artist active in the New Sculpture movement. During a long career Drury created a great number of decorative figures such as busts and statuettes plus larger monuments, war memorials, statues of royalty and architectural pieces. During the opening years of the 20th-century he was among the foremost architectural sculptors active in Britain and in that period created the series of works in central London for which he is perhaps now best known. These include the figures on the Old War Office building in Whitehall, elements of the facade of the Victoria and Albert Museum and four of the colossal statues on Vauxhall Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Rhodes (politician)</span> New Zealand politician

Arthur Edgar Gravenor Rhodes was a New Zealand member of parliament and mayor of Christchurch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boer War Memorial (Montreal)</span> War memorial in Canada

The Boer War Memorial is a monument to the heroes of the Boer War. It is located at Dorchester Square in downtown Montreal, in Quebec, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombo Street</span> Main road in Christchurch, New Zealand

Colombo Street is a main road of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It runs south-north through the centre of Christchurch with a break at Cathedral Square. As with many other central Christchurch streets, it is named for a colonial Anglican bishopric, Colombo, Sri Lanka in what at the time was known as Ceylon. Parts of the street which run through Sydenham were known as Addison Street during the 1880s, and some parts were known as Colombo Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Robert Falcon Scott, Christchurch</span> Statue in Christchurch, New Zealand

The Statue of Robert Falcon Scott commemorates Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott. It is located at the intersection of Worcester Street and Oxford Terrace in Christchurch Central City, New Zealand. Unveiled in 1917, the memorial serves as a symbolic portrayal of bravery, heroism, and endurance of the Englishmen of the British Empire. The statue was carved by Scott's widow, Kathleen Scott, and is registered by Heritage New Zealand as a Category II historic place. The statue toppled off its plinth in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake and broke in two; it was temporarily on display in an exhibition in the Canterbury Museum and was later reinstated in its original location in October 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Civic, Christchurch</span>

The Civic was a building in Manchester Street, central Christchurch, that was erected in 1900 and demolished in 2011. It was first used as an exhibition hall, then as a cinema, and then a theatre, before being gutted by fire in 1917. The northern part of the building was purchased by Christchurch City Council (CCC) and opened as the civic office in 1924, and served this purpose until 1980. After that it had several uses, including a restaurant, bar and live music venue. The building was heavily damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, and was demolished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citizens' War Memorial</span> New Zealand war memorial

The Citizens' War Memorial in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, is one of the two major memorials in the city to World War I. It is located immediately north of ChristChurch Cathedral. The annual Anzac Day service was held there until the February 2011 earthquake; since then the memorial has been behind the fence around the cathedral. It is a Category I heritage structure registered with Heritage New Zealand. Between 2021 and 2022, the memorial was repaired and shifted 50 metres (160 ft) to the west. The Citizens' War Memorial was used for the 2023 ANZAC day dawn service in Christchurch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Trethewey</span> New Zealand sculptor

William Thomas Trethewey was a sculptor and monumental mason from Christchurch, New Zealand. His best known work is the Citizens' War Memorial in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, where the city's annual Anzac Day service is held.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of James Cook, Christchurch</span> Statue in Christchurch, New Zealand

The Cook Statue in Victoria Square, Christchurch, commemorates the three journeys of James Cook to New Zealand. The statue, sculpted by William Trethewey, was unveiled on 10 August 1932 by the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe. It was donated by bookmaker and philanthropist Matthew Barnett (1861–1935).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Square, Christchurch</span> Public place in Christchurch, New Zealand

Victoria Square is a public park located in central Christchurch, New Zealand. Originally known by European settlers as Market Place or Market Square, it was renamed to Victoria Square in 1903 in honour of Queen Victoria. It was one of the four squares included in the original plan of Christchurch when the city was laid out in 1850.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamish Hay Bridge</span> Bridge in Christchurch, New Zeland

Hamish Hay Bridge is a bridge located in Victoria Square, Christchurch, New Zealand. Built in 1864, it was renamed in 1989 for Sir Hamish Hay, Mayor of Christchurch; a commemorative bronze plaque is affixed to the bridge's guard rail in the middle of the structure to honor Hay's services. The bridge, the oldest heritage feature in the square, is also the country's oldest cast iron and stone bridge. It survived the 2011 earthquake undamaged. Architectural features include the bridge arch and the balustrade's neo-gothic ornamentation. The bridge is registered as a Category II heritage structure with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis John Williamson</span>

Francis John Williamson was a British portrait sculptor, reputed to have been Queen Victoria's favourite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crowne Plaza, Christchurch</span> Hotel in Christchurch Central City

The Crowne Plaza in Christchurch, New Zealand, originally known as the Parkroyal Hotel, was a hotel of the Crowne Plaza group. Built in 1988 in the north-west corner of Victoria Square after much public protest, as it cut off the first part of Victoria Street, its construction happened at the same time and enabled the substantial redesign of Victoria Square. The building had New Zealand's largest atrium, and was one of the city's largest hotels. The building suffered significant damage in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and was demolished in April 2012. The Crowne Plaza group has secured a lease in the Forsyth Barr Building at the opposite end of Victoria Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hokitika Clock Tower</span> Memorial and clock tower in New Zealand

The Hokitika Clock Tower, initially called the Westland War Memorial and then the Coronation and War Memorial, is a prominent landmark in Hokitika, New Zealand. The memorial was initiated, fundraised for, and carried out by a committee, to commemorate the region's contribution to the Second Boer War; not just the four local men who had died but all 130 who had gone to war in South Africa. An additional purpose was to provide Hokitika with a town clock.

The Statue of Queen Victoria stands on the sea front at the bottom of Grand Avenue in Hove on the south coast of England. The statue is one of 14 by Thomas Brock and was unveiled in February 1901, the month after Queen Victoria's death. It is a grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Victoria Monument, Wellington</span> Statue in Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington's Queen Victoria Monument is an early 20th-century statue of Queen Victoria by British sculptor Alfred Drury. Copied after Drury's earlier 1903 Portsmouth statue, Victoria is depicted standing triumphantly in her Robe of State and widow's cap, holding a royal scepter and orb. The monument's plinth additionally features a plaque and three bronze reliefs, designed in the New Sculpture style, depicting the Treaty of Waitangi and various artistic and scientific inventions of the Victorian era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Queen Victoria, Auckland</span> Bronze statue in Auckland, New Zealand

A statue of Queen Victoria was erected at Albert Park, Auckland, in 1899. The second monument to Queen Victoria in New Zealand, the bronze statue was funded by public donations encouraged by Auckland politicians and the New Zealand Herald in celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Following applications from various British and New Zealand artists, the statue was commissioned to British portrait sculptor Francis John Williamson. It was one of nine variants of his 1887 statue erected at the Royal College of Surgeons, allegedly a favourite of the future Edward VII.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Heritage New Zealand.
  2. ↑ Stocker 2016a, pp. 3–4.
  3. ↑ Rice 2014, pp. 18–26.
  4. ↑ Rice 2014, p. 107.
  5. ↑ Rice 2014, pp. 148f.
  6. ↑ Rice 2014, pp. 153f.
  7. ↑ Rice 2014, pp. 156f.
  8. ↑ Rice 2014, pp. 157f.
  9. 1 2 Rice 2014, p. 158.
  10. ↑ "The Jubilee Memorial". The Press . Vol. LVIII, no. 10912. 13 March 1901. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Captain Scott Memorial". Heritage New Zealand . Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Memorial to Captain Scott". Evening Post. Vol. XCIII, no. 36. 10 February 1917. p. 5. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "The Jubilee Memorial". The Star . No. 7029. 20 February 1901. p. 1. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "Jubilee Memorial". The Star . No. 7043. 8 March 1901. p. 4. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  15. ↑ Rice 2014, pp. 159f.
  16. ↑ "Royal visits to Queensland, an historic essay". Queensland State Archives. Archived from the original on 17 September 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  17. ↑ Rice 2014, p. 160.
  18. ↑ "In Victoria Square". The Star . No. 7132. 22 June 1901. p. 5. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  19. 1 2 Rice 2014, p. 161.
  20. ↑ "NZ units in South Africa 1899–1902". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  21. ↑ Rice 2014, p. 163.
  22. ↑ Rice 2014, p. 167.
  23. ↑ Rice 2014, p. 284.

Works cited

Bibliography

Websites

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Queen Victoria Statue, Christchurch at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.