{"id":115818,"date":"2015-07-27T21:00:33","date_gmt":"2015-07-27T11:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=115818"},"modified":"2020-11-11T14:33:20","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T04:33:20","slug":"crowds-flock-to-emu-unveiling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/07\/27\/crowds-flock-to-emu-unveiling\/","title":{"rendered":"Crowds Flock To Emu Unveiling"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Mayor Wayne Kratzmann, fourth from left, congratulates Emu Memorial Committee members Trevor Hoult, Winston Burrows, Chris “Corky” Corcoran, Elaine Madill, Cathy Eustace, Percy Iszlaub, John Eustace and Shaz Birkett (missing: Cr Ros Heit and Dafyd Martindale) (Photo: Denise Keelan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Earlier in the week … sculptor Dan Davie delivers the finished statue to Wondai
(Photo: CROW-FM)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

July 27, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

A bumper crowd packed into Wondai’s Coronation Park on Saturday morning for the official unveiling of the town’s latest piece of public sculpture … a solid steel memorial to Charlotte the Emu.<\/p>\n

For the last year, the 10 members of the Charlotte The Emu Memorial Committee have been spearheading a community fund-raising drive to build a memorial to the town’s former\u00a0 emu, which was accidentally run over last year.<\/p>\n

The group arranged two radio auctions, put collection tins in local shops, and ran two outdoor movie nights to raise the funds needed for the memorial.<\/p>\n

The statue was commissioned from award-winning Kilkivan metal sculptor Dan Davie. It was delivered earlier in the week, and had been stored at a secret location under tight security.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But at 5:15am on Saturday, members of the Memorial Committee put it on a truck and took it to a prepared site in Coronation Park to be bolted down and readied for the morning’s ceremony.<\/p>\n

Everything went to plan … almost.<\/p>\n

Committee members had a few heart-stopping moments towards the end of the move when they found the statue refused to sit perfectly flush with the ground.<\/p>\n

However, a few expert blows with a hastily retrieved sledge-hammer soon solved the problem.<\/p>\n

The morning also turned out to be overcast and threatening rain, so Committee members mounted a tent over the draped statue just in case.<\/p>\n

As it turned out, they needn’t have worried … even Hughie politely held off for the occasion.<\/p>\n

Saxophonist Tom McKenzie set the mood for the day, playing music from 9:00am while a big crowd of morning shoppers patiently gathered nearby.<\/p>\n

Official proceedings began at 9:30am when the Wondai CWA Community Choir and students from Wondai State School – aided by Elaine Madill – launched into a spirited rendition of ‘Old Man Emu’.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After this, Mayor Wayne Kratzmann spoke briefly to congratulate the Wondai community on the project.<\/p>\n

He also announced the next step of Wondai’s Village Green project would be construction of the first section of the Kingaroy-Kilkivan Rail Trail from Wondai to Wooroolin.<\/p>\n

Work on this would start in a few weeks time, he said.<\/p>\n

Mayor Kratzmann was followed by Winston Burrows, the committee member who retrieved Charlotte’s body after she died and buried her near the Wondai Tennis Courts, one of Charlotte’s favourite haunts.<\/p>\n

Winston told the crowd about some of emu’s quirks, and noted that ever since Charlotte had been buried her grave always seemed to be adorned with flowers.<\/p>\n

Then he unveiled the statue after a brief pause for a pre-recorded drum-roll.<\/p>\n

After this, committee members stepped back to allow hordes of eager photographers to snap photos of the statue, or inspect it at close range.<\/p>\n

Sculptor Dan Davie<\/strong> said the statue had been quite difficult to build.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The stylised feathers have been specially treated to resist graffiti, and as the statue ages it should look increasingly natural in its new environment.<\/p>\n

It is also located in area which is already monitored by a 24-hour security camera.<\/p>\n

CROW-FM’s Chris “Corky” Corcoran said the best security would be that almost everyone in Wondai has contributed to the project and now owns a part of the statue.<\/p>\n

“This statue was built by the people of Wondai and friends of Wondai, so it belongs to all of them,” Corky said.<\/p>\n

“I don’t think anyone is ever going to be allowed to harm our Charlotte.”<\/p>\n

[Photos: Denise Keelan Photography<\/a> and southburnett.com.au]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

\"\"<\/a>
Parks portfolio chair Cr Kathy Duff listens to the speeches with former Wondai Shire Mayor Percy Iszlaub (Photo: Denise Keelan)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
\n

\"\"<\/a>
Memorial committee member Winston Burrows delivered the day’s main address before unveiling the statue (Photo: Denise Keelan)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Hello old friend … a clearly delighted Winston Burrows unveils the memorial statue in front of crowds of onlookers (Photo: Denise Keelan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

\"\"<\/a>
Children from Wondai State School sang “Old Man Emu” to start the day’s proceedings<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
\n

\"\"<\/a>
Shaz Birkett introduced her campaign mascot ‘Charlene’ to the new Charlotte statue<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Does everyone like her? Corky introduces Charlotte to the waiting crowd (Photo: Denise Keelan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Related articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n