QUEEN VICTORIA (2)

Location: Albert Park, Auckland
Artist: Francis John Williamson

This bronze statue of Queen Victoria was unveiled in 1899 as a Diamond Jubilee project in Albert Park, Auckland. It 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 statue, created by Francis John Williamson (1833-1920) shows the mourning wreaths covering the base of the queen’s statue.