Kilkivan metal sculptor Dan Davie with the completed sculpture; right, Charlotte arrives in Wondai
Posters advertising the unveiling began to appear around Wondai on Monday

July 20, 2015

It’s taken a little longer than a year and it’s involved everything from collection tins in local stores to two CROW-FM radiothons and two open air movie nights … but on Saturday, July 25, Wondai’s memorial to its much-loved former town emu Charlotte will finally be unveiled.

The Charlotte The Emu Memorial Committee, which has been fundraising for the statue since last June, will be officially launching the town’s solid steel tribute in front of Saturday morning shoppers.

The corner of Coronation Park opposite Wondai’s IGA Supermarket will be the focus for the official proceedings.

While bargain hunters shop at the monthly Wondai Markets, students from Wondai State School will kick off the function at 9:30am with a rendition of “Old Man Emu”, and then South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann will give a brief talk.

After this, Winston Burrows, from the Wondai Town Band, will recount how he rescued the body of Charlotte after she was tragically run over last May, and buried her next to the Wondai Tennis Courts in a grave that has since become a mecca for pilgrims bearing flowers.

Then the Memorial Committee, led by former Wondai Shire Mayor Percy Iszlaub, will take the wrappings off the new statue, which has been painstakingly built by Kilkivan metal sculptor Dan Davie over the past six months.

After this, the Wondai CWA choir will bring proceedings to an end with their own version of “Old Man Emu”.

“The most remarkable thing about Charlotte’s statue is that it’s been completely funded by the community,” Committee spokesman Chris “Corky” Corcoran said.

“The South Burnett Regional Council have provided a spot for it in Coronation Park and arranged for it to be bolted into place – and a very big thank you to them for doing these things – but not one cent of money has come from any level of government.

“So we hope everyone who put a few coins towards Charlotte’s memorial comes by to have a look at the result, because it’s 100 per cent owned by the community.

“We think they’ll be delighted. Dan has done an incredible job and the select few who have seen it so far really like it.”

After Saturday’s unveiling, the Memorial Committee will begin looking at their next project, which is to decorate Charlotte’s final resting place with a headstone and install flower vases so mourners will have somewhere to place their floral tributes.

Further down the road, the Committee would like to create Charlotte-inspired “walking tracks” around town so locals and visitors can retrace Charlotte’s favourite trails; prepare a Charlotte brochure or booklet to recount the life and legends surrounding the town’s former emu; and mount directional signs to Charlotte’s statue and grave.

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Workers unload the Charlotte The Emu statue at a secret Wondai location, where it’s being stored until Saturday’s official unveiling (Photo: Corky Corcoran)

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