Statues - Hither & Thither

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Greys Avenue
(Aotea Square)

George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland

Beckenham, Kent 1784 - Hampshire 1849
English Whig politician and colonial administrator; Governor-General of India, 1836-1842
(Wikipedia)

Henry Weekes
1848

Auckland / George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland

Description

Bronze statue.

Inscription(s)

LORD AUCKLAND

in 1840 governor hobson named this
city after lord auckland from whom
he had received command of h.m.s.
rattlesnake when lord auckland was
first lord of the admiralty in 1834.
lord auckland served as governor-
general of india from 1835 to 1842 and
this statue of him stood in calcutta
from 1848 to 1969 when it was presented
by the government of west bengal
to the city of auckland.
the transportation of the statue to
auckland and its erection on this
site was arranged and financed by
the new zealand insurance co. ltd. as
a gift to its home city.

h. weeks, sculptor & founder, 1848.

Signature

h. weeks sc. 1848

Annotation

A website on statues in Calcutta writes:

The statue of George Eden, the Earl of Auckland, deserves special mention among all the statues sculpted during the British regime. Auckland stayed in India as the Governor General for six years (1836 - 1842). After his retirement, he left India and went back to England. His statue was erected in the Auckland Circus Garden in the east of the Eden Gardens. The Earl was so much loved by the people of Calcutta that they collected a fund for making his statue after his departure from India. The statue was sculpted by Henri Wicks (!), an English sculptor. However, in 1969, this statue was removed from its original position.

Sculptor

Henry Weekes RA (Canterbury 1807-1877), English sculptor (biography).

Sources & Information

The Auckland Gallery Guide, Sculpture.

Locatie (S 36°51'9" - E 174°45'45") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: nz001; Photograph: 2 February 2008
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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