Statue of Queen Victoria
Statue of Queen Victoria
1897; unveiled in 1899
Sculptor: Francis John Williamson (1833-1920)
Commissioned for the Diamond Jubilee
Bronze, on granite pedestal
Auckland, New Zealand
This statue, which was unveiled in 1899, was the first of four monuments to Queen Victoria to be erected in New Zealand. In February 1901, as the queen’s funeral was held in Britain, a day of mourning was observed across the empire, with statues of the queen frequently serving as the focal point of local public feeling. This photograph of the statue in Auckland, from February 3, 1901, shows the mourning wreaths covering the base of the queen’s statue.