The Godley Statue stands at 105 Cathedral Square in Christchurch. It is a two-metre bronze standing figure of John Robert Godley, the Resident Chief Agent of the Canterbury Association, who is recognised as the founder of Canterbury. The website says the statue was first installed in the square in August 1867, and is one of the earliest public statues in New Zealand. It is the only work by the Victorian sculptor Thomas Woolner in the country. The statue has a Group 1 heritage listing in the Christchurch City Plan, and Heritage New Zealand lists it as a Category I historic place, its highest level of protection.
The statue fell from its plinth in the February 2011 earthquake and was damaged. It was removed for repair in April 2014, after advice from international conservation experts. The council's website lists other statues and heritage points of interest in the city. Our pick in Cathedral Square for a short look at Christchurch's founding history.