City’s namesake merits a statue, says historian
William Cargill was an Otago man but a historian wants a statue of him in Invercargill.
Cargill visited Invercargill only once – and that was to berate its people for attempting to separate Southland from the Otago province.
However, given that he is the man Invercargill is named after, historian Lloyd Esler wants a statue of him in Invercargill.
Esler is inviting the public to a meeting of the Invercargill Historical Society on March 19, where he will pitch the idea for a statue of Cargill in the city.
Esler, who was the driving force behind the Alex Lithgow statue being erected in Invercargill last year, said he believed Cargill was also deserving of one.
In 1856 New Zealand Governor Thomas Gore Browne announced that a town would be established in the deep south and he proposed it be called Invercargill.
‘‘Inver’’ means river mouth and the Cargill part of the name was in honour of William Cargill, the Superintendent of Otago.
The only time Cargill visited Invercargill was to berate its people for wanting to separate Southland from the Otago province, Esler said.
‘‘He came down here to tell us what a terribly bad idea it was.’’
He failed and such was the hostility towards Otago that it was suggested the name of the town should be changed because of William Cargill’s opposition to separation.
Despite this, Esler believed it was time for Cargill’s name to be acknowledged in the city.
‘‘We have got the name, Invercargill, and we need to tell the story of why it’s called Invercargill.
‘‘I imagine a statue of Cargill with a scowl and a raised fist towards the town hall.’’ Lloyd Esler, below right
I imagine a statue of Cargill with a scowl and a raised fist towards the town hall.’’
William Cargill was born in Edinburgh in 1784 and raised by a widowed mother.
An officer of the the British Army for many years and later a wine merchant and bank manager, he supported plans for the settlement of New Edinburgh (Dunedin) in New Zealand.
After arriving in New Zealand he took over the leadership of the small colony.
He died in 1860, and was regarded with affection as the patriarch of the Otago settlement.
Esler said no funding had been sourced for a statue of Cargill and a trust would need to be formed to make it happen.