BURNS MEMORIAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27043, 30 March 1949, Page 4

BURNS MEMORIAL

PROPOSAL APPROVED SITE IN FIRST CHURCH GROUNDS General approval of the proposal to place a memorial of Dr Thomas Burns at the Burlington street corner of the First Church grounds was given by the Presbyterian Synod of Otago and Southland yesterday. The synod also gave full authority to the Presbyterian Churc'hi Board of Property to' make arrangements to lease the land required for the memorial to the Dunedin City Council in perpetuity. It was stated earlier that a meeting of the Deacons’ Court had approved the scheme for the memorial and. the leasing of the land at a nommal rental. Mr A. L. Salmond, a member of the Memorial Committee, informed the synod that the statue of Dr Burns would be in bronze, and would stand 9ft high. The estimated cost was £3OOO, of which £1750 would be for the bronze work and modelling. Mr Salmond said that the committee, in selecting Mr F. Shurrock, of Christchurch, to do the work had gained the services of a sculptor of international reputation.

v The clerk of the synod, the Rev. A. M. Elliffe, said that the reason why the land at First' Church should be leased to the City Corporation was that the Deacons’ Court of First Church felt that Dx Burns was a civic figure as well as a minister, and that the city should have the control and care of the memorial. The finance was to be raised by a civic fund. The Rev. R. S. Watson expressed the hope that the memorial would be completed in a short time.