The memorial is a bronze statue of Stuart seated in a solemn pose, atop a large concrete, granite, and andesite plinth.

Stuart was a locally renowned minister, educationalist, and community leader, and shortly after his death in 1894, a memorial committee was established.

A proposal circulated in the late 2010s to move the statue to the grounds of the University of Otago, where Stuart served as chancellor.

The Otago Witness, describing Stuart, stated "There is no man in New Zealand, probably, that has christened, married, and buried more people.

[5][6] By August, the committee began to consider the construction of a commemorative statue, and investigated whether a suitable artist in Australia or New Zealand could be commissioned to design the memorial.

[13] Following the construction and shipment of a plaster model by Morison, the statue was cast at the Moore foundry near London and shipped to the colony.

[10][12] The bronze statue features Stuart seated atop a curule chair, holding a walking stick.

The original pedestal is made of concrete and granite, with the later version additionally incorporating andesite and Tasmanian sandstone.

Other proposals recommended moving the statue to Knox Church itself, but these were rejected due to the memorial's commemoration of Stuart as a community leader, rather than purely a minister.

It was placed upon a stone plinth 1.5 metres taller,[10] later described in the Otago Daily Times as "slightly pompous".