Akaroa Historical Overview - Christchurch City Council

Britomart or Green's Point Monument
The monument on Green’s Point was unveiled in June 1898 by Lord Ranfurly to
commemorate the raising of the British flag on the point immediately prior to the arrival
of the French settlers in 1840. Designed by Samuel Farr, who had known Akaroa since
1850, and constructed by J. Tait, monumental masons of Christchurch, the granite obelisk
was erected as part of Queen Victoria's 60 th Jubilee celebrations. The building of the
monument was another demonstration that by the end of the 19 th century, the people of
Akaroa recognised that the town’s history was an important component of its special
character. 127
Located on the headland of a rural property above Beach Road, it was not until 1926 that
the Council finally acquired 12.8 perches around the monument and were able to have it
gazetted as land of historic interest. For its first twenty-eight years the monument sat in
an expansive paddock, unfenced and surrounded by stock (refer figure 5.41). Following
its acquisition by Council it was enclosed in a wirewove fence (refer figure 5.42). This was
subsequently replaced by a concrete wall and rail system in 1939. Access to the
monument was via the popular foreshore stroll path known as Lover's Walk, a stretch of
Beach Road which ran from the main wharf to Green's Point.
Figure 5.41. (Top) Green's Point memorial before 1926. Ref: Postcard, Private collection, J Pyle
Figure 5.42 (Bottom) The fashionable crimped wirewove fence lasted until 1939. Ref: 2055-1
127 Akaroa Civic Trust Newsletters, 2006-08, passim
AKAROA HERITAGE OVERVIEW : SECTION 5 THE COLONIAL TOWN 1850 TO 1900 PAGE 77