that the colony was able to make a good start with a strong farming base. Godley believed that the Canterbury Association's purpose was to found Canterbury, not to rule it. He thought that the colony should be self-governing. In November 1852, a deputation put a requisition to John Robert Godley, asking him to allow himself to be nominated for the first election for Superintendent of the Canterbury Province; James FitzGerald was part of that deputation, which he declined. He left Canterbury for England in December 1852. At a banquet held in his honour at Greenwich's Trafalgar Hotel, Godley gave an insightful overview of the progress made in Canterbury during the short time since its founding. In England, Godley worked as a columnist and essayist for several newspapers. He mainly wrote about colonial reform, a subject clearly dear to his heart. He also was employed at the War Office. There he continued his argument for the self-governing of the British colonies. Godley died on 17 November 1861 in London. A bronze statue bearing his likeness was erected in Cathedral Square by the people of Christchurch in 1867. It was designed by artist Thomas Woolner. The statue fell off its pedestal during the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Godley's only son was Sir Arthur Godley, later created Baron Kilbracken. His nephew was General Sir Alexander Godley, the controversial commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) in WWI. The house that had been built for Godley in Lyttelton was later demolished to make way for a building of the Plunket Society. The Plunket building was from 1943 and was damaged in the February 2011 earthquake. Upon its eventual demolition in June 2012, the post holes of Godley's house were discovered. Archaeologists believe that Godley's two-storey house had at least six rooms, which is substantial for a very early colonial building. References External links Christchurch City Libraries' article on Godley Biography from 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand Biography of Charlotte Godley from 1966 Encyclopaedia of NZ Article on John Robert Godley, 1938 Godley, Robert Godley, Robert Civil servants from Dublin (city) Godley, Robert Godley, Robert Godley, Robert Godley, Robert High Sheriffs of Leitrim Members of the Canterbury Association People from County Leitrim 19th-century New Zealand politicians