The 2.74m high statue of Trooper David Mickle Jack which has stood on top of the Boer War memorial at the intersection of State Highway1 and Thames Street in Oamaru for 104 years was removed yesterday.
The 960 tonne monument will be resited about 40 metres south as part or a realignment of the corner which is an accident black-spot.
The long, slow crawl through Oamaru is unpopular with travellers but retailers have resisted any attempts to move the highway away from the town’s main street. The repositioning of the statue and the associated work won’t speed up the journey but it might make it a bit safer.