‘The Unveiling of Burns Statue Fifty Years Ago’

May 25th 1937

Hocken Library

Dunedin: Otago Daily Times

Dunedin’s statue of Robert Burns has been standing in the Octagon since 1887. Funds were raised within the community for the bronze statue, which was unveiled by Burns’s great grand-niece on Queen Victoria’s birthday, 24th May. About 8000 people, about a third of the population of Dunedin at the time, attended the event. Many speeches were made that day, one of which was given by Sir George Grey (1812-98), former Governor of New Zealand. On that occasion, he encouraged those present, and future on-lookers to remember the Bard as an ‘inspired messenger’ and ‘a truly great and noble soul’. The unveiling was followed by a banquet.