$30,000 Mary St statue unveiled on Valentine's Day

A 170-year-old romantic tale will be on everyone's lips in Mary St today where a $30,000 sculpture of aristocrat Lady Mary Lennox will be unveiled.

Who was the Mary behind Mary St? Picture: Contributed.

A 170-year-old romantic tale will be on everyone's lips in Mary St today where a $30,000 sculpture of philanthropist and British aristocrat Lady Mary Lennox will be unveiled.

Lady Mary was 29 years old when she met her husband Sir Charles August Fitzroy on a trip to Paris in 1819, and they were married the following year.

Sir Charles held governorships in several British colonies and in 1846 he travelled with Lady Mary to Australia to become the 10th Governor of New South Wales and later in 1850 the first Governor General of Australia.

They were married for almost 30 years (1820-1847) but Lady Mary's life was tragically cut short when she was killed in a carriage accident in Parramatta Park outside Government House in Sydney.

A press release issued by Gympie Regional Council yesterday said:

"Locals say that on a tour of Queensland in 1848 her heartbroken husband named the Mary River to honour the memory of his wife.

"The sculpture was created by Australian contemporary artists Gillie and Marc. Other public artworks by the highly-regarded husband and wife team can be found all over the world, including major cities such as Shanghai, New York and Sydney.

"The unveiling of the Lady Mary sculpture will also mark the launch of the new Gympie Town Centre heritage trail which will provide locals and visitors with the opportunity to learn more about the town's rich history."

The statue will be unveiled at the City Centre Stage at 10.30am.