The Making of a Legacy
How John Hulley’s Statue Found Its Place on Liverpool’s Waterfront
The story of the John Hulley statue is now a proud part of Liverpool’s history — but it began as an ambitious plan to honour one of the city’s great sporting pioneers. Liverpool Heartbeat set out to commemorate Kensington‑born John Hulley, the gymnastics and athletics entrepreneur who founded the “Liverpool Olympics” and helped shape early Olympism.
After several early setbacks, Robin Baynes MBE, founder of Liverpool Heartbeat, secured agreement with the Canal and River Trust to place the statue on a vacant concrete plinth at the junction of Mariners Wharf, Coburg Wharf and Kings Parade.
Planning permission was granted, and renowned sculptor Tom Murphy — known for the Bill Shankly memorial at Anfield and the John Lennon statue at Liverpool John Lennon Airport — was commissioned to bring Hulley’s likeness to life.
As part of the project, Liverpool Heartbeat created a walking map of Tom Murphy’s statues, gifted to schools to encourage healthy activities and connect young people with local heritage.
Robin Baynes reflected at the time:
“John Hulley was a trailblazer, a pathfinder, a visionary — a man born ahead of his time. He was the forgotten man of British Olympic history, and this statue would finally recognise the foundation work he began in the 1800s.”
On 14 June 2019, exactly ten years after the re‑dedication of Hulley’s grave, the statue was officially unveiled by HRH The Princess Royal — securing Hulley’s place in Liverpool’s story and ensuring his legacy stands tall on the waterfront.
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