A plaque commemorating a respected historical figure credited with planting Canterbury’s iconic weeping willows, has been vandalised and ripped off a rock in Victoria Square, Christchurch.

The plaque, originally installed in 2001, honoured Francois Le Lievre, a French settler who arrived in New Zealand aboard the whaling ship Le Nil in 1838.

According to the inscription, after landing in Akaroa, Le Lievre planted weeping willow cuttings taken from Napoleon’s grave on St. Helena.

Evidence suggests these trees were the source of the first willows planted along the banks of the Avon River.

Despite the devastation caused by the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, both the willow trees and the plaque had remained intact until now.

A Christchurch resident walking through the square first noticed the damage last week. “I was quite upset,” they said. “It made me wonder if this was a hate crime, given the recent sentiment freely aired against early European settlers.”

Christchurch City Council’s Head of Parks, Rupert Bool, confirmed the theft to chrislynchmedia.com, saying, “We are aware that the plaque on the large boulder at Victoria Square was stolen overnight on Thursday. We will be replicating and replacing the plaque.

“We will also be reviewing any potential security footage and have reported this to the Police,” Bool said.

When Chris Lynch Media visited the site, a French couple were also there, paying their respects to the pioneer. Using a translation app, they expressed their devastation over the vandalism, saying it was heartbreaking to see such an important piece of history desecrated.