EMPIRE DAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 671, 24 May 1929, Page 11

EMPIRE DAY

Wreath Placed On Victoria’s Statue MEMORY HONOURED “We are here today to do honour to the memory of good Queen Victoria—a great lady whose memory we revere.” So said the Hon. J. G. Garland, vicepresident of the Auckland branch of the Victoria League, at a brief ceremony at the statue of Queen Victoria in Albert Park at noon today. Today is Empire Day, and the 110th anniversary of the birthday of Queen Victoria, and by placing a wreath at the foot of the great Queen’s statue, Auckland remembered the reign of one of the greatest Sovereigns that ever ascended the British Throne. Miss J. A. Mowbray, president of the Auckland branch of the Victoria League, placed the wreath on the statue, just as the clocks of the city chimed noon. It was a simple wreath of red and white flowers, ferns and maidenhair and bore a blue ribbon from the league. After placing the wreath on the statue steps, while the little gathering stood with heads bare, Miss Mowbray called up<*n Mr. Garland to say a few words. “We are here a small company, of men, women and children,” he said, “and although few in number we represent the tens of thousands of members of the Victoria League throughout the British Empire.” The league was formed at the close of the Boer War, Mr. Garland said. It grew and prospered in the Old Country and later came out to the colonies. It started in New Zealand first at Dunedin, and later took on at Auckland. “The league has prospered,” Mr. Garland stated, “and we are here to offer felicitations to our fellow members throughout the British Empire.” “When we look back over the life of Queen Victoria, and think of the wonderful 60 years that she wielded the sceptre of love, and, above all, of truth,” said the speaker, “we realise and are glad to know that we today live in the results of that reign. “There are no politics and no creeds in this league. The underlying principles on which we are trying to build are to do right to all men, to love the brotherhood and to fear God and honour the King. Those are the foundation stones of the Victoria League. “We pay affection to the memory of that great woman—that great personality in the world in her day and generation,” concluded the Hon. J. G. Garland. * Standing in Albert Park, facing south, the statue of Victoria bears the inscription “Erected by the people of the provincial district of Auckland to commemorate the 60th year of the reign of her Most Gracious Majesty, Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and Empress of India. 1897.” The wreath.was made by Mesdames George Kent and Robert Isaccs, and their daughters. Mr. Garland Is one of the oldest members of the league. SYMONDS STREET CEREMONY After the ceremony at Albert Park, a wreath was placed at the statue in Lower Symonds Street, ejected by the Victoria League, with the assistance of the public, “In memory of the soldiers, sailors and friendly natives who laid down their lives that we might be free,” in the Maori Wars. Except in Canada, where Empire Day, under the name of Victoria Day, is kept as a national holiday, the birthday of Queen Victoria is now observed very quietly In the Mother Country and in the Dominions. In New Zealand the recent practice has been to observe Empire Day conjointly with the King’s Birthday on June 3. Born at Kensington Place on May 24, 1819, the only child of Edward of Kent, Victoria became heir-presump-tive in 1830, and ascended the Throne on June 20, 1837, in succession to her uncle, William IV. In 1840 the Queen married her cousin, Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Queen Victoria’s long reign covered an extraordinarily eventful period. At the outset she was under the experienced political tuition of Lord Melbourne, who was Prime Minister at the time. Victoria’s jubilee was celebrated with great splendour by a thanksgiving service in Westminster Abbey on June 20, 1887. Ten years later, in 1897, a second festival popularly known as the diamond jubilee, celebrated the longest reign of any British Sovereign. The Prime Ministers of the self-governing colonies attended and also detachments of troops from every part of the Empire. Victoria died at Osborne on January 22, 1901, and was buried at Progmore. The Victoria League is a British Empire organisation founded in 1901, and incorporated in 1921 as a nonparty association of British men and women, in memory of Queen Victoria, for the purpose of promoting closer union between British subjects throughout the world. During the morning representatives of the Victoria League and the Navy League laid sprigs of rosemary on the graves in the Symonds Street Cemetery of soldiers and sailors who had fallen fighting for the Empire.