Statue of George Grey, Auckland

Sir George Grey Statue
A marble statue of Sir George Grey atop a granite pedestal. Sir George is standing with a scroll in his hand and a Maori carving to the rear.
Sir George Grey statue in 2008
Map
36°51′0.32″S 174°46′3.87″E / 36.8500889°S 174.7677417°E / -36.8500889; 174.7677417
LocationAlbert Park, Auckland, New Zealand
DesignerFrancis John Williamson
Material
  • Marble (statue)
  • Granite (base)
Opening date1904
Designated2 February 1990
Reference no.119

The Sir George Grey Statue in Albert Park, Auckland commemorates George Grey, the third Governor of New Zealand and 11th Premier of New Zealand.[1] The statue, sculpted by Francis John Williamson, was unveiled on 21 December 1904 by the Governor, William Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket.[2]

Background

Inception

Whilst the career of George Grey was marked by controversy, he later gained recognition as an iconic elder statesman.[3] Proposals to commemorate Grey arose during his lifetime, notably by the Auckland Women's Liberal League in 1895.[4]

George Grey died in 1898. Grey's death was met with a public outpouring of grief, which included closed shops and "a long procession of carnages and vehicles."[5] The New Zealand Herald anticipated that the unveiling of the Grey Statue would serve as a final tribute, reporting:

The unveiling of the Grey Statue may be looked forward to as the closing scene, when Aucklanders will doubtless again turn out en masse, to pay their final tribute of respect to the memory of the greatest statesman who has swayed the destiny of this young colony, irrespective of faction or party.[5]

In 1898, Auckland's Mayor Peter Dignan formed the Sir George Grey Statue Committee, chaired by F.E. Baume, to oversee a memorial.[6] In February 1900, a site at the intersection of Queen Street and Greys Avenue was selected.[4] The design was selected by the committee in September 1900.[7]

Creation

The funding of the statue was provided by subscriptions and a $1000 subsidy from Parliament. The statue was crafted by Francis John Williamson for a fee of 1200 guineas. Williamson relied on a single photograph from 1868 to construct the statue. Messrs Trayes Bros constructed the pedestal and for a sum of £1825.[1]

History

The statue was unveiled on 21 December 1904 at the intersection of Queen Street and Greys Avenue by the Governor, William Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket. The statue's opening ceremony included chiefs of the Ngāpuhi, Hauraki, Rotorua, Waikato Tainui and Ngāti Whātua iwi.[8] The statue later moved to Albert Park in 1922 because the memorial was considered a hinderance to traffic after tramway lines were built to either side of the statue.[9]

Photo of George Grey used to sculpt the head of the statue.[10]

The statue has frequently been subject to vandals and activists. The head of the statue was broken off on Waitangi Day, 1987, as a protest against Grey.[11] Roderick Burgess was commissioned to execute a replacement marble-coated concrete head. Burgess relied on a photo of Grey in his fifties and a bust of Grey from Mansion House. The new head was attached in March 1988.[12] In 2020, the statue was vandalised and smeared in red paint.[13]

The statue was given a Heritage New Zealand category 1 rating in 1990.[1]

Composition

The statue is crafted from marble, with a base and pedestal made from local stone. The steps are constructed from Tamaki scoria, and the pedestal is formed from Coromandel tonalite. The replacement head is reinforced with a brass rod and filled with cement for added stability.[1]

The statue, as it stands today, was described by the Dunstan Times as:

The "good Governor," standing with his right leg slightly advanced, is in the ordinary frock coat of civilian garb, above which he wears an overcoat thrown open; his right arm is akimbo, his left, stretched at his side, holds a scroll. Behind him is a carved [Māori] post, which gives local colour, and at the same time serves as a support for the figure.[14]

Inscriptions

There is an inscription on each side of the statue's plinth. James Carroll authored the rear inscription in the Māori language.[15] These inscriptions read as follows:[16]

Front Inscription Left Inscription
Stabilis

Sir George Grey P.C., K.C.B. &c

1812-1898
Governor South Australia 1841-45,
" New Zealand 1845-53,
" Cape Colony 1854-61,
" New Zealand 1861-68,
Last Superintendent of Auckland 1875-76,
Premier of New Zealand 1877-79.
Rear Inscription Right Inscription
E tangi e te iwi ki te matua kua ngaro
KI A HORI KEREI
Te kai-hautu o te waka
Te whakaruru hau o te iwi Māori i nga ra i mua
Te toak tu moana i aio
Haere ra e Pa.
Te putea o nga mahara o nga kupu.
Ma muri e mihi o koha ki te ao
SOLDIER, STATESMAN, LOVER OF HIS FELLOWMEN.
Whose wisdom eloquence and strong
personality gave to the people
of this colony a large measure
of the liberties they now possess

Reception

The statue was well received at it's opening. Premier Richard Seddon described the statue as 'a striking work of monumental art,' whilst the New Zealand Herald admired 'the erect and dignified bearing' of the statue and praised the Māori inscription on the statue. Māori chiefs present at the opening remarked that they were 'pleased with the honourable recognition of Sir George Grey.'[17]

Subsequent evaluations of the statue by Māori have been negative. After the statue's decapitation, Māori academic Ranginui Walker described Grey as the 'hitman of colonisation' who deserved to 'get his head knocked off.'[18] Art historians have criticised the statue for its 'stiffness and staidness', with Michael Dunn criticising the final pose as being "unimaginative in conception".[11]

  • Unveiling the Sir George Grey Statue, 1904
    Unveiling the Sir George Grey Statue, 1904
  • The Statue in 1912
    The Statue in 1912
  • The Statue in 2024
    The Statue in 2024
  • The statue's Māori carving and creator's signature
    The statue's Māori carving and creator's signature

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Sir George Grey Statue". Heritage New Zealand. 20 November 2024.
  2. ^ "The Grey Statue". Bush Advocate. 21 December 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  3. ^ Stocker, Mark (1994). "'Director of the Canoe': The Statue of Sir George Grey". Bulletin of New Zealand Art History. 15: 17–18.
  4. ^ a b Stocker 1994, p. 19.
  5. ^ a b "Grey Memorial Day". The New Zealand Herald. 20 February 1899. p. 6. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  6. ^ "The Late Sir George Grey". The New Zealand Herald. 12 October 1898. p. 5. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Sir George Grey's Statue". Bay of Plenty Times. 28 September 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  8. ^ Stocker 1994, p. 24.
  9. ^ "Removal of the Statue of Sir George Grey, Auckland". Otago Witness. 26 September 1922. p. 38. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  10. ^ "New Zealand's Tribute to the Great Pro-Consul". New Zealand Graphic. 5 November 1904. p. 26 – via Papers Past.
  11. ^ a b Dunn, Michael (2002). New Zealand Sculpture: A History. Auckland: Auckland University Press. pp. 22–23. ISBN 978-1-86940-277-8.
  12. ^ Stocker 1994, p. 28.
  13. ^ Martin, Hannah (15 June 2020). "Sir George Grey statue in Auckland vandalised, smeared with red paint". Stuff. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  14. ^ "Anglo-Colonial Notes". Dunstan Times. 12 March 1901. p. 3. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  15. ^ Stocker 1994, pp. 23.
  16. ^ "Auckland - Sir George Grey / Ko Hōri Kerei". vanderkrogt.net. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  17. ^ Stocker 1994, pp. 22–25.
  18. ^ Stocker 1994, pp. 28–29.

Media related to George Grey Statue, Auckland at Wikimedia Commons

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