In 1901 Mr John Emery bequeathed to St Paul's sufficient money for cementing the outside of the church, the erection a memorial window to himself and his daughter, rebuilding of portion of the Sunday School, and the making and installation of a statue of "The late Captain James Cook, Voyager and Discoverer" in the church grounds.

The sculpture was undertaken by an art teacher at the Bendigo School of Mines, John Walker, who created it as a clay model which he then accompanied on ship to England for casting in bronze. It was erected in 1906, and we celebrated his centenary in 2006.

There is a report in the Bendigonian of November 1901, regarding John Emery:

"In regard to the provision in the will that a statue shall be erected to the memory of Captain Cook, the late Mr Emery some 13 years ago made two successive trips to New Zealand, and in his leisure time during the voyages he closely read up the life and discoveries of the famous captain, and was so impressed with the deeds of that sailor-hero that he thereupon decided to perpetuate his memory by the erection of a statue in Bendigo."

It is a fine sculpture and an interesting adornment to the church.