Sir George Grey Statue, Albert Park
Channel: Difficult Histories: The New Zealand Wars
Date: 2022-05-29

The statue of Sir George Grey (1812-1898) that today stands over Albert Park was originally unveiled at another location in 1904, before being moved to its present site in 1922. It embodies the notion of ‘Good Governor Grey’, a wise and kindly friend to both Māori and Pākehā. But as Grey’s role in the invasion of Waikato and other New Zealand Wars conflicts becomes more widely understood, the statue has in recent years been a focus for protest. As Joanna Kidman and Vincent O’Malley discuss in their latest video, the statue is another flashpoint in terms of how we remember and forget these conflicts and another celebration of British imperialism and colonialism.