Despite her limited knowledge of the conflicts, she supported the project as part of her interest in promoting propaganda in favour of the British Empire.

[3] To achieve their aims, Statham and the Victoria League sought to erect a memorial to all the soldiers, sailors and 'friendly Māori' who died in the New Zealand Wars.

This site was offered because of its proximity to the Sir George Grey Statue and the Symonds Street Cemetery where many soldiers are buried.

[1] Initially, local architect John Park won a competition to design the statue, which depicted a 'native' kneeling before an imperial soldier.

Macklin's design involved a stone obelisk with a draped female figure offering a palm to those who died for Empire.

During the ceremony, the President of the Victoria League, William Napier, handed over the memorial to Auckland's Mayor James Gunson.

[5] According to Colonel Morrow:[6] The proceedings awakened echoes of a distant past, when the youth and manhood of this province was summoned by the tocsin of war to uphold British rule in this colony which, although then little more than the unspoiled heirloom of the hardy pioneer settlers, was now the brightest sparkling jewel in the British crown.For many years, the Victoria League marked King's Birthday by placing a wreath at the memorial.

[9] The monument consists of a short obelisk mounted on a square plinth, with a life-size bronze statue of Zealandia on its eastern side.

[1] The inscription on the obelisk facing Symonds Street reads as follows:[6] In memory of the brave men belonging to the imperial and colonial forces, and the friendly Maoris, who gave their lives for the country during the New Zealand Wars, 1845-1872.