Queen Victoria by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, Bart., R.A. (1834-1890). Left: Queen Victoria. Right: Whole monument. Unveiled 28 January 1888. Bronze on a very attractively turned circular pedestal in differently coloured stone. Over-lifesize (the figure itself is 11'4" high). Macquarie Street, Queen's Square, Sydney, Australia. The statue was commissioned from Boehm to replace one of the Queen which had stood under the dome of the International Exhibition Building, and been destroyed in the fire which engulfed it in 1882. It was unveiled by Lady Carrington (wife of the then Governor of New South Wales) in front of a crowd so enthusiastic that the police struggled to control them.
Two wood engravings from the collection of the Victoria State Library, both out of copyright. Left: Boehm's statue of the queen, 28 January 1888. Right: Centennial Celebrations at Sydney — Unveiling the Queen's Statue, by F.A. Sleap, dated 11 February 1888 (note the police shown in the inset in the top right corner).
The work is similar, but not identical, to the one outside Windsor Castle, unveiled a matter of months previously, in June 1887 — for instance, in the fall of the robes, which are gathered round towards the front and slightly overhanging the top of the base, and resting on the pedestal. It was described in the Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW) of 28 January 1888 as "a majestic and faithful likeness," which "represents the Queen in a regal dress, handsomely draped, with a long train embroidered with emblems of the rose, shamrock, and thistle. On the breast are the ribbon and star of the Garter: in the right hand is the sceptre pointing downwards, and in the left the orb, whilst on the head is placed an Imperial crown. The entire work is justly considered as a fitting emblem of the loyalty of the colony of New South Wales to her Majesty's throne and person" (qtd. in "Queen Victoria").
Links to Related Material
- A Gallery of Portraits in Stone and Bronze of Queen Victoria
- Statue of Prince Albert, by William Theed, Junior, in Sydney
Scanned images, text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee. [You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. Click on the images to enlarge them.]
Bibliography
"Boehm's Statue of the queen." State Library Victoria. Web. 1 March 2025.
"Centennial Celebrations at Sydney — Unveiling the Queen's Statue." State Library Victoria. Web. 1 March 2025.
"Queen Victoria." Monument Australia. Web. 1 March 2025.
Created 1 March 2025