September 6, 2014
Kingaroy’s new marble statue of a World War I digger has arrived ahead of schedule for its unveiling on Anzac Day next year.
The statue, crafted by K.C. Monuments in Toowoomba, weighs about 1.25 tonnes and has been placed into safe storage at the South Burnett Council Depot.
Kingaroy-Memerambi RSL Sub-Branch president Don Davey said the statue would be erected on a plinth in front of the current catafalque in Memorial Park in time to mark the centenary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli.
The stone will be lightly sandblasted and then sealed before the statue is lifted by crane into position.
The stonemasons have carefully reproduced a World War I uniform.
Don said he was surprised by the level of detail, especially in the hat badge.
The statue has cost about $15,000 to this point, including a grant of $4000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The project has taken three years of planning, with serious fundraising starting about a year ago.
The Sub-Branch has been approaching local businesses for donations.
The statue will be only part of a “new look” for the Kingaroy War Memorial for 2015.
Mr Davey said Council was planning to install new paving work with special lighting between the flagpoles and the monuments.
A series of murals, depicting the various conflicts that Australian troops have been involved in since the Boer War, will also be erected along the fenceline.
Security lighting and cameras monitoring the rotunda, memorials, toilet block and children’s playground would also be installed.
Mr Davey refuted rumours that Kingaroy’s 2015 Anzac Day commemoration was going to be shifted to the afternoon.
He said the only change that was being considered was starting the parade a little earlier, perhaps at 10:15am, so it would be finished in time for the official unveiling of the statue at 11:00am.
This would also fit in better with the request from the Sub-Branch to the RAAF for a flyover of the commemoration.
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