Erected on the former location of the Albert Barracks, the statue was a central point for various imperial and patriotic observances, such as Empire Day, which gradually declined over the twentieth century.

[3] Public meetings considering the creation of a local monument to the Queen Victoria were held by the Auckland City Council in May 1897, prior to her Diamond Jubilee.

[5] A reader poll was held by the paper, with the largest share of roughly 2000 respondents voting in favour of the statue as opposed to other proposed memorials.

Photographs of Williamson's 1887 Victoria statue built for the Royal College of Surgeons impressed the memorial committee, especially due to Edward, Prince of Wales' alleged praise for the sculpture as the "best portrait ever executed of his mother.

The statue's opening ceremony included speeches by members of the Waikato Māori and Governor Uchter Knox, as well as a gun salute by warships anchored in Freemans Bay.

Empire Day celebrations, presided over by the Governor of New Zealand, were held at the statue for much of the early twentieth century, but gradually declined following the end of the Second World War.

In 1971, a mock funeral was held by a University of Auckland feminist student group to commemorate the 78th anniversary of women's suffrage, choosing the location due to Victoria's staunch opposition to female voting rights.

[12][15] The monument features a roughly life-size Victoria styled after her Golden Jubilee portrait taken by Alexander Bassano, as well as on in-person sittings taken by Williamson.

[12] Art historian Michael Dunn felt that Williamson's attention to detail in the work, such as featuring the pattern of Victoria's dress "contributes to her characterisation as a woman as well as a monarch and helps to humanise her image".