All was revealed when the 2.74m marble monument was being given a face-lift in readiness for its return to the top of the the Boer War memorial, which has been moved 40m south along Thames St.
Yesterday, Oamaru people got their first chance to have a close look at the statue since it was hoisted to the top of the 12.34m high monument in central Oamaru when it was completed in November, 1904.
Trooper Jack was on display at the corner of Thames and Severn Sts until about 6pm last night after being restored by Dooleys Masonry, one of the contractors involved in shifting the monument along Thames St to make way for a traffic safety improvement project through central Oamaru.
Kerry Dooley said yesterday the job had thrown up the fact Trooper Jack had two left boots.
However, this oddity would not be apparent when he was on top of the monument.
And this time, he will be securely fastened to his post on top of the monument.
The restorers had discovered the original workmen only used about 100mm of mortar to secure him, apart from the statue's weight.
When he goes back up today, Trooper Jack will be secured by two stainless steel rods and bolts about 2.5m long extending down into the reinforced-concrete central pillar.
To prevent the risk of accidental damage yesterday, the trooper remained in his lifting frame.
The barrel of the gun the trooper holds was shortened so it would not be broken when he was lifted off his original position.
The gun will be restored when he is back on top of the monument.
The marble plinth on which he stood, which Mr Dooley estimated weighed almost 5 tonnes, was fastened to the monument by about 120mm of mortar.
The statue had been sandblasted some time in the past, leaving the surface rough.
It was also dirty and covered with black grime.
The statue, and its marble base, which is already on top of the monument, have been chemically cleaned to restore the original colour and finely sanded back to its original smooth finish.
Shifting the monument and turning it 180deg to face north, undertaken by Fulton Hogan and Dooleys, will cost about $685,000.
