Public Art in Central Christchurch

Queen Victoria Jubilee Memorial

Category: Monument / Sculpture Title: Queen Victoria Jubilee Memorial Primary artist(s): Francis John Williamson (1833-1920) Unveiling date: First unveiled 25 May, 1903. Plaques unveiled 7 April, 1904. Media: Bronze Approximate dimensions: h 5.5m w 2.44m d 2.44m Location: Victoria Square Setting: Corner of Armagh and Colombo Street Owner / administrator: Parks Unit, Christchurch City Council

The statue of Queen Victoria commemorates three important events in the history of Canterbury. The statue is a jubilee memorial to Queen Victoria (1819-1901). The reliefs on the lower level of the pedestal observe the fiftieth anniversary of the landing of the pioneers in Lyttelton in 1850. There are also reliefs to commemorate Canterbury's association with the Boer War in South Africa, honouring those that died in service. Further up the pedestal there are reliefs containing figures symbolic of the province's prowess in art, industry and education.

The statue was unveiled on 25 May, 1903, the date of Queen Victoria's birthday which was observed as Empire day. When the statue was unveiled in 1903 it was incomplete. A year later two levels of bronze relief panels were added to the pedestal and the statue was presented to the public a second time on 7 April, 1904.

The bronze cast statue was produced by Francis John Williamson, the English sculptor with the promotional self title; 'Queen's Sculptor'.¹ Although the The Press describes the statue as "an original designed expressly for Canterbury"² Mark Stocker has noted that not less than nine replicas were made from a master version, and Stocker includes Christchurch as host to one of these reproductions.³ What makes the Christchurch statue unique are the pedestal reliefs.

It was noticed a few days after the statue of Queen Victoria was installed that the cry of a cat was emanating from inside. Before the statue had been erected it had lain on the ground where a cat had made a home inside the hollow figure. So Queen Victoria had to be hoisted off her pedestal while the cat was enticed out with a smelly fish!⁴

¹ Stocker, M; Art New Zealand, Francis John Williamson (1833-1920), the New Zealand Sculptures, No 61, Summer 1991-'92. p76.

² Press, 26 May,1903. p5.

³ Stocker, as above p75

⁴ The Sun, Christchurch, 14 May, 1932

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