On 8 August 1867, the statue of the Late John Robert Godley – the founder of Canterbury – was unveiled to the crowds in Cathedral Square.
The statue was moved to the north side of the Cathedral in 1918 – where the Citizen’s War Memorial now stands – to make way for a tram shelter. When the shelter was demolished in 1931, the statue was returned to its former and current location.
It was the first statue portraying a person erected in New Zealand.
For a more in-depth look at John Robert Godley, please check out the following link: http://www.peelingbackhistory.co.nz/
* Image courtesy of Jock Phillips. ‘Memorials and monuments – 19th-century memorials’, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 16-Nov-12
URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/32514/godley-statue-unveiling-1867
