Was originally unveiled on the Padang in 1887 by Sir Frederick A Weld (on the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession). Moved to its present position and unveiled by Sir Arthur Young, Governor, on 6 February, 1919. As part of the celebrations, a contest was held for the best inscription to go with the statue. The top prize of $25 went to Lim Koon Tye, an alumnus of Raffles Institution. It was surrounded by a semicircular colonnade (in the Italian Renaissance style) which was destroyed after the fall of Singapore. The statue was moved to the National Museum where it stayed until liberation. (This all from Edwards and Keyes).