Robert Falcon Scott Statue

Robert Falcon Scott Statue

A statue of Captain Robert Falcon Scott stands at corner of Worcester Street and Oxford Terrace in central Christchurch in memory of the Antarctic explorer.

Scott led two expeditions to Antarctica, including the Terra Nova or British Antarctic Expedition in 1910-1913. Scott and his party were attempting to become the first to visit the geographical South Pole, but when reaching it in early 1912 found they had been beaten by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his party who had reached the pole only 34 days prior.

Sadly Scott and his four fellow explorers died on their return journey from the pole. 

The sculpture of Scott was carved by his widow Kathleen from Italian marble and installed in 1917. The statue is facing north – the same direction that Scott was heading on his trip back from the South Pole.

During the Christchurch earthquakes the statue snapped at the ankles and toppled. It was reinstated in time for its 100-year anniversary.