Statue Of George Grey, Auckland

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

Background

Inception

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

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." 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.

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

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.

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. The statue later moved to Albert Park in 1922 because the memorial was considered a hindrance to traffic after tramway lines were built to either side of the statue.

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. 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. In 2020, the statue was vandalised and smeared in red paint.

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

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.

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 āoripost, which gives local colour, and at the same time serves as a support for the figure.

Inscriptions

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

Reception

The statue was well received at its 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.'

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.' Art historians have criticised the statue for its 'stiffness and staidness', with Michael Dunn criticising the final pose as being "unimaginative in conception".

Gallery

File:Unveiling the Sir George Grey Statue 1904.jpg, Unveiling the Sir George Grey Statue, 1904
File:Auckland Town Hall with Greys Statue in Foreground.jpg, The Statue in 1912
File:George Grey Statue Front 2024.jpg, The Statue in 2024
File:George Grey Statue 2024, with Maori carvings shown.jpg, The statue's Māori carving and creator's signature

References

External links

Heritage New Zealand listing

Photographs of the George Grey Statue
held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections.

{{Learning Quarter

Auckland
Albert Park, Auckland
Statues in New Zealand
1904 establishments in New Zealand
1904 sculptures
Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in the Auckland Region
Learning Quarter
Outdoor sculptures in Auckland