GOD LEY STATUE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16153, 6 March 1918, Page 6

GOD LEY STATUE.

ERECTION IN CATHEDRAL

GROUNDS

A Pi.RIEF CEREMONY

The pcnctratinc drir.r.le of rain, which started to in!', yestorilav morning did not pi .-vent 1 airly large croivd assembling in the Cathedra! close to witness the setting .in position of tho statue of John Robert Gotiley, fuunder of the piovinee of Canterbury. on its new site. Amongst those present were a sprinkling of early colonists and also the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr H. Holland), his Lordship Bishop Julius. Dean Carrington, tiie Town Clerk (Mr H- E. Smith), and the City Surveyor (Mr A. Dudley Dobson). l'he statue was swung into position at an earlier hour in tho morning, and at J1 o clock Bishop Julius and the Mayor ascended the scaffolding and between them, with uie assistance of one of the contractors (Mr Rcnncll) and his workmen, the statue was slowlv lowered and eventually placed true in position. The contractor had placed in tho hollow at the base of the statue copies of yesterday morning's newspapers and also a copy of the "Weekly Press'' of February 13th, IDIS, containing reproductions of photographs showing the statue being dismantled from its previous position in. Cathedral square, facing the Cathedral. A bottle troutaiuing the following statement, written in Indian ink, was also deposited beneath the statue,:—

This statue of John Robert Godley executed by Thomas Woollier. R.A., was erected in the west side <it Cathedral square by the Provincial Government of Canterbury, and unveiled by the late Sir Charles Christopher .Brown, K.C.M.G., on .iugust 6th, IS6?. ,It was moved zo this site in March, 1918. Dated at Christchurch this oth day of March, 191 S. HENRY HOLLAND. Mayor. C. i/URISTCHURCH. H. It. SMITH, Town Clerk. A. D. 3)OBSON, City Surveyor.

After the statue had been "well and truly set," the Mayor addressed the assemblage, and detailed the reason for the removal of the statue—the i'act that the tramway shelter obscured it i'roM ths view of the public and of visitors. By the courtesy of me Dean and Chapter of tho Church Property Trustees the present site -vas placed at the disposal of the Oity Council, and that body and tho Tramway Board ami the Beautifying Association, had joined in bearing, in equai proportions, the cost of removal. When the scalfolding was ,taken down and the mound at the base of the pedestal completed, he thought that the citizens would be proud of the new position occupied by the statue. It was fitting that tne statue should occupy such a position in view of Godley's connexion with the Church of England and with the Canterbury Association. Mr Holland added that tho arrangement made with the Church Property Trustees provided for the statue remaining the property of the citizens, and gave tho City Council the right to remove it. He hoped it would remain for man* years, but when the tramway system was reorganised it might be restored to its original site. Bishop Julius said that lie had not intended saying anything, but his Worship had been good enough to ask him to say a few words. Tiie ono object that "tho Chapter had in its mind in offering tho present site was to deliver the city from what appeared to be a disgrace. (The Mayor: Hear, hear.) Godley had done great things [ for the province in tho early days; so groat that those who knew and valued his work, raised a largo sum so that thero might be a str.tuo of him in tho city. . In later days, when commerce occupied such a great place in human thought. Godloy's statue had boen relegated to the background, and very little was seen of it. Godley represented the groat principles on which tho province of Canterbury wns founded, and which ho (Godley) believed helpful to the city. They had boen. i forgetting them, they had dropped out of their sight, and it was only this great and terrible war that wns bringing back to their minds the truth that tho wealth and grandeur and groatness of a country and Empire depended, not merely on its commercial wealth and prosperity, but on thoso great principles of truth and righteousness which underlie them; (Hear, hear.) God•a' not onlv n ffowl citizon, not only a man of ideas and of vision, but ho was also a man of God and a great Churchman. He took it that Godley stood for thoso things thnt the citizens of Christchurch should strive to bo, by the licln of God. not only men of business, but men devoted r r« i scrv,co and the fonr and love of God. Therefore, he took it, Godley s statue stood in its right place, and it would probably look better, and be more regarded, and the principles it lepi osontocl would bo more regarded, than .was the caso in the past. lhis concluded the brief ceremonv. It is considered unlikely that thero will bo an unveiling coremonv. The statuo now stands 21 feet from the lovel of tho roadway to the ton Of the Jkcnro. it has boon decided ihnt the older stone of tho pedestal shall be cleaned. I tie Jormation of the mound at the base of thr. pedestal will bo pl ,t in hand by the City Council shortly. Tho jrorfc Of the and re-erection of the sta.ue has been eannblv carried out by Messrs Rennell Brothers.