Queen Victoria in Queens Gardens

This imposing bronze statue of Queen Victoria, a replica by English sculptor Sir Thomas Brock of the original in Portsmouth, was erected in mid-1906. The purchase was arranged by local artist Godfrey Rivers, and was funded by public subscription and subsidies from state and local government. The pedestal was designed by the Public Works Department and crafted by local stonemason William Kitchen. The statue was an expression of Queensland's loyalty to the British Empire. The monument remains the only statue of Queen Victoria in Brisbane.

Located in Queens Garden, the statue is outside what is now the Conrad Hotel. The gardens were established in their current form in 1963, although since the erection of the monument they had been public gardens.

I must say that as you approach the monument up the diagonal pathways, you don't get a real sense of the grandeur of this sculpture. It is only when you stand underneath that I got the real sense of majesty for what Queen Victoria represented. I originally thought that it was "just another royal statue", however as I moved around the base I became more overawed. Although rather expressionless, the sculpture does exemplify the carriage of royalty.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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