Rolleston Statue
Encyclopedia
The Rolleston Statue is a white marble
statue
situated outside Canterbury Museum in Christchurch
, New Zealand
. It commemorates William Rolleston
, who was Superintendent
of the Canterbury Province
from 1868 until 1877.
, from 1868 to 1899 with two breaks in the later years.
Rolleston was the politician who was instrumental in the establishment of the Canterbury Museum and the Canterbury College
, which now houses the Arts Centre
. It was thus seen as appropriate to place the statue outside the museum, with Rolleston looking across Antigua Street (with this section since renamed to Rolleston Avenue) at the Canterbury College.
The statue, by English sculptor Herbert Hampton, was unveiled in 1906, where it stood on a stone plinth
. The plinth reads: "William Rolleston Superintendent of Canterbury 1866–1876."
At the time of its unveiling, the sculpture was regarded as a good likeness of Rolleston though has been criticised in more recent times as being "rigid" and "lacking surface interest" when compared to the other Christchurch statues sculpted by Thomas Woolner
and George Lawson
. The statue toppled off its plinth during the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake and the head broke off.
as a Category II historic place, with the registration number being 1946. It is one of the three statues that commemorate superintendents of Canterbury (the other statues commemorate James FitzGerald
and William Sefton Moorhouse
) and they are all placed on Rolleston Avenue (Moorhouse's statue is some distance inside the Botanic Gardens
). The three statues thus form an important historical setting.
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
situated outside Canterbury Museum in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It commemorates William Rolleston
William Rolleston
William Rolleston was a New Zealand politician, public administrator, educationalist and Canterbury provincial superintendent.-Early life:...
, who was Superintendent
Superintendent (politics)
Superintendent was the elected head of each Provincial Council in New Zealand from 1853 to 1876.-Historical context:Provinces existed in New Zealand from 1841 until 1876 as a form of sub-national government. After the initial provinces pre-1853, new provinces were formed by the New Zealand...
of the Canterbury Province
Canterbury Province
The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. On the east coast the province was bounded by the Hurunui River in the north and the Waitaki River in the south...
from 1868 until 1877.
History
Rolleston was the fourth and last Canterbury Superintendent. He was also a Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, from 1868 to 1899 with two breaks in the later years.
Rolleston was the politician who was instrumental in the establishment of the Canterbury Museum and the Canterbury College
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
, which now houses the Arts Centre
Christchurch Arts Centre
The Christchurch Arts Centre is a hub for arts, crafts and entertainment in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located in the neo-gothic former University of Canterbury buildings, the majority of which were designed by Benjamin Mountfort...
. It was thus seen as appropriate to place the statue outside the museum, with Rolleston looking across Antigua Street (with this section since renamed to Rolleston Avenue) at the Canterbury College.
The statue, by English sculptor Herbert Hampton, was unveiled in 1906, where it stood on a stone plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
. The plinth reads: "William Rolleston Superintendent of Canterbury 1866–1876."
At the time of its unveiling, the sculpture was regarded as a good likeness of Rolleston though has been criticised in more recent times as being "rigid" and "lacking surface interest" when compared to the other Christchurch statues sculpted by Thomas Woolner
Thomas Woolner
Thomas Woolner RA was an English sculptor and poet who was one of the founder-members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was the only sculptor among the original members....
and George Lawson
G. A. Lawson
George Anderson Lawson was a Victorian era sculptor who was associated with the New Sculpture movement.Lawson was born in Edinburgh. He studied in Glasgow, and settled in London in 1866. His reputation was established through the creation of statues of distinguished citizens...
. The statue toppled off its plinth during the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake and the head broke off.
Heritage listing
On 26 November 1981, the statue was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places TrustNew Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
as a Category II historic place, with the registration number being 1946. It is one of the three statues that commemorate superintendents of Canterbury (the other statues commemorate James FitzGerald
James FitzGerald
James Edward FitzGerald was a New Zealand politician. According to some historians, he should be considered the country's first Prime Minister, although a more conventional view is that neither he nor his successor should properly be given that title. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand...
and William Sefton Moorhouse
William Sefton Moorhouse
William Sefton Moorhouse was a New Zealand politician. He was the second Superintendent of Canterbury Province.-Early life:...
) and they are all placed on Rolleston Avenue (Moorhouse's statue is some distance inside the Botanic Gardens
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
The Christchurch Botanic Gardens, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand are botanical gardens founded in 1863, when an English oak was planted on 9 July 1863 to commemorate the solemnisation of marriage between Prince Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.The Gardens sprawl...
). The three statues thus form an important historical setting.