July 16, 2014
CROW-FM will hold a radiothon in September to help raise the $10,000 needed to build a steel memorial to Wondai’s much-loved “town emu” Charlotte.
The Charlotte The Emu Memorial Committee, which met at CROW-FM’s Wondai studios tonight, accepted a quote from Kilkivan sculptor Dan Davie to create a life-size 3D sculpture of the emu.
Charlotte was run over in May and the emu’s death led to an outpouring of grief from Wondai residents, who said they wanted to see her immortalised in some way.
The Memorial Committee held its first meeting later that month, where it looked at what types of memorials might be suitable and where they might best be placed; and its second meeting in June, where it examined and obtained quotes for different types of memorials.
At its third meeting tonight, the committee decided to proceed with a 3D metal sculpture by Mr Davie, to be erected in Coronation Park near the town’s roundabout.
The sculptor is probably best-known in the South Burnett for his life-size rendering of Kilkivan Great Horse Ride founder Fabian Webb astride his horse Smoky which is mounted outside the Kilkivan Public Hall.
However, Mr Davie has also produced sculptures for the Gayndah Jockey Club and the Miner’s Statue which forms the centrepiece of Maynard Park at Mount Perry, and has won many State, national and international awards for his work.
To raise funds, CROW-FM will be holding an outdoor broadcast at the Wondai Markets on Saturday, August 23, to promote the radiothon.
At around the same time, the station will also begin distributing collection tins to businesses in Wondai, Murgon and Kingaroy where the public can donate loose change towards the project.
The radiothon in September will offer a wide range of donated prizes in an on-air auction.
If the required $10,000 can be raised, the Committee hopes the new statue can be unveiled by the end of the year – possibly in conjunction with Wondai’s annual Christmas Eve Carnival.
CROW-FM station manager Chris “Corky” Corcoran said he was heartened by the support the Memorial Committee had already received from the community, and fund-raising efforts will begin in earnest as soon as a separate bank account for the project is set up.
“Because CROW-FM is a not-for-profit community organisation, we have to get a special sanction from the Department of Fair Trading to fund-raise for another community project,” he said.
“This means we have to fill in some forms and submit them to the Department before we can open a new account, and this will take a few weeks. But once it’s done people will be able to make direct deposits to this account if they want to.”
Mr Corcoran said all money raised from collection tins and the radiothon would be deposited directly into the new account.
Fellow committee member, former Wondai Shire Mayor Percy Iszlaub, said he’d already received approaches from numerous people who wanted to make a financial contribution to the project and was confident the Memorial Committee would achieve its goal.
The project has also received approval from the South Burnett Regional Council, who will donate the necessary space in Coronation Park and ensure the memorial’s construction blends in with its Village Green streetscaping project.
The group will meet again at CROW-FM’s studios at 6:00pm on Wednesday, August 13, to finalise fund-raising plans. Anyone who’d like to donate goods or services to the September radiothon should contact CROW-FM’s studios on (07) 4169-0700 or email them.
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$10,000…………seriously? How many Not for Profit community organisations and projects could use this money for far more worthy causes?
Excuse me Marilyn but this is for a good cause. May not be for you but Charlotte the emu was the towns mascot really and it was a tragedy that she was unfortunately hit in May. The residents of Wondai including the kids were devastated to see and hear that such a friendly emu was hit. As a local resident saving up $10,000 to have a memorial statue to represent this amazing and friendly bird is a great idea.
I agree with Marilyn, it can go to a more worthy cause, what about the living? I’m sure they could do with a hand up. A statue of a bird isn’t going to help much, but blankets and a hot meal would.