Memorial Statues

Waler Data Base @ Facebook. Image: Bill the Bastard memorial statue, Murrumburrah, NSW, Angela Tiede photo

Check out our earlier post about a wonderful sculpture of our most well-known Waler, Bill the Bastard, life-sized and simply magnificent. There are memorial statues all around the country, here are just some of them to whet your appetite to look out for them, including this beautiful memorial in Albany W.A.

The “Never leave a mate behind” statue at Wagga Wagga by Brett Mon Garling, who’s becoming a legend himself in the statue world, fantastic job.

The Light Horse started in Wagga Wagga in 1888, so that’s another great reason to pay a visit on statue tally travels, And a top town. Many of the Riverina LH, particularly the 21st, were from Wagga.

Thanks to Simon Andrews for the beautiful photos! And he reports there’s even sand under the horse that makes it all come to life. And thank you to whoever put the lovely flowers there too.

Another sculpture on the Lachlan Valley Way Sculpture Trail by Brett Mon Garling is the inspiring piece “Brumbies Run”. Thanks to Barry Smith for the photos.

The Tamworth Waler Light Horse statue has four plaques, the statue is a mare but Sandy is mentioned on one of the plaques (and check out a recent statue for him at Tallangatta):

“The horses were known as Walers.

Only one came back.

In memory of the Waler. Between 1861 and 1931 approximately 500,000 horses were exported from Australia to the Indian Army, the Boer War and Egypt with The Australian Light Horse as remounts. Of all these horses only one returned, a gelding Sandy belonging to Major General Sir William Bridges….”

Thanks a mill to Dee Gee for sending in these top photos – another monument to visit! – this one at Rupanyup in western Victoria.

10th Light Horse Regiment statue, Stirling Square, Guildford, W.A. Photo from the City of Swan Facebook page. The statue shows a rider leading his horse out of the Helena River at the Guildford Depot, where the 10th was raised in October 1914.

Whilst the government had a policy of mixing men from different states in Light Horse Regiments to prevent state rivalry – we hadn’t long become a country due to federation in 1901, rather than remaining separate colonies – the government, didn’t want soldiers just identifying with their state rather than Australia as a whole. However, the Regiments (and the infantry battalions) that served overseas were largely state based.

Western Australia got its own regiment when Lt-Col Noel Brazier who was sent there to form additions to the 7th, the 10th being a squadron, asked for a full regiment to be formed there. And we all know the great honors the 10th Light Horse earned with immense courage in many theatres including Gallipoli, in WW1, giving their state much deserved pride. They had the awful tragedies like all in that war, with much loss of life.

There are plaques about the 10th’s statue, these also honour the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who were horse breakers and Light Horsemen. All plaques were paid for by Lotterywest.

Remember our Working Horses. Memorial statues can be found all over Australia commemorating the role of our working horses and those who worked with them.

The Mallee is beautiful yet tough country, the people and horses worked very hard there. The first two draught horses were brought to the Nhill area in 1844. Many more followed. Before long horses were taking the crops from Nhill 100 k’s to the rail at Stawell.

In the main street there’s a War Memorial statue of a soldier on a tall plinth, with lots of plaques commemorating those who served in WW1.

The wonderful poet John Shaw Neilson began writing his famous poems in the years he lived at Nhill when his family moved there in 1889, Nhill was on swamp then and there was a flood when they arrived. Bill (William) Nesbitt was a well known local Cobb & Co driver of the 1870’s and 80’s, and set up livery stables at Nhill about 1885. Henry (Flash Harry) Marsden was another popular local Cobb & Co. driver.

There are other draught horse statues in Australia, for example a lovely one in Barellan NSW unveiled in 2024.

The Nhill draught horse statue was unveiled on the 17th of October, 1968. Made by sculptor Stanley Hammond O.B.E. and the casting done by Joseph Oscar Swift at Mitcham, Vic.

Stanley was born 1913 in Vic. He trained in Australia and made many excellent sculptures (including one in Daylesford), also helping with the Shrine of Remembrance and he designed the Shrine at Mont St Quentin in France. He was awarded an MBE in 1978 for services to the arts. Stanley passed away in 2000. Can’t find the cost of the Memorial in Nhill… if anyone knows please share.

Alfred Ernest Dahlenburg, a local, was the first to bring Clydesdales to the area. He was a farmer on the Wimmera property called Oakdene. He started the Nhill Show. A much loved person, kindly, a great family man. He started the Nhill Draught Horse Memorial Committee which raised funds for the statue – it was paid for by public donation.

The model for the statue was Box Valley Surprise, a Clydesdale owned by Alan Marriott. Thank you for that great info Ian Stewart-Koster.

The Pioneer, statue of a stockman, in Katherine NT. This statue is also known as the Katherine Icon. It honours our pioneers and particularly stockmen. Photos and information from Australian History: The Way it Was Facebook page.

The sculpture was initiated by the Ambassador to the Territory in The Year of the Outback, 2002. It was paid for by 86 donors and some overseas contributors – all their names are on the plaques. The Northern Territory Cattleman’s Association commissioned the sculptor once funds were raised.

It’s located on the corner of Stuart Highway and Chambers Drive, Katherine, N.T.

The statue was made by Archie St. Clair, unveiled 4th April 2003. Thousands attended the unveiling – many being stockmen, some mounted. Sabu’s family were there. Four helicopters flew overhead, doing the missing man manoeuvre to honour a fallen comrade. Those on horseback doffed their hats.

Archie, the sculptor, grew up in outback Australia, he did stock work, worked for a butcher, then got his pilot’s licence. He was badly injured in a helicopter crash. During a long recovery he turned to sculpture. Archie now lives in Grapevine, Texas, USA. He also did the Cunnamulla Fella statue.

All for the horses! Depicted below is a statue titled “The Horses Came First” by Len Zuks – in the picturesque hamlet of Wandering in W.A., southeast of Perth.

The local Aboriginal name for the area also sounds like Wandering – Wandooin, meaning place of the Wandoo, the white gum.

Like many areas of the south in WA horses were once vital for transport and work. Sheep such as Leicester and Shropshire were farmed there, lots of hay grown, crops, cattle and good draught horses bred, and utility horses. Wandering held livestock sales and a couple of horses were usually sold there besides sheep. There was an annual picnic race meeting too.

Now to pit pony memorials. Pit pony is the term for horses and ponies that worked in mines, some were ponies, some large horses, depending on the mine, and sometimes on the particular area of the mine.

The Kurri Kurri memorial (Hunter Valley, NSW) was unveiled in 1921. The Pit Pony and Mining Memorial statue is in the Col Brown Rotary Park at Kurri Kurri, a beautiful town well worth visiting. Local people raised over $100,000 for Brett Garling to make the sculpture. Thanks to Phil for the heads up about this statue, his mum helped with the fundraising. The mines at Kurri Kurri included Pelaw, Hebburn, Stanford Merthyr and Richmond Main.

The Collinsvale statue (Queensland) is a Clydesdale, the community had a 60 day fundraising drive, getting $190,500 for Gillie & Marc, sculptors, to make the statue, unveiled in 2015.

Various murals in Collinsvale painted by Frances Rowland Wregg also remember the pit ponies, as well as a memorial at the Collinsvale Workers Club and (extensive) Coalface Museum, ABC News photos.

There’s one at Kapunda (SA) of a mine horse above ground operating a whim (photo by Judi Manning), and one at Williamsford (Tasmania) of the Hercules Mine horse, made from flat metal, a silhouette.

Also a good one one at Katoomba NSW, at Scenic World and this one at Collie, W.A.

The bronze sculpture was made by sculptor Robert Hitchcock of Perth. A cart had been outside the mine – but as the old miners said, the horse brought it all to life. A lovely archway built behind the sculpture with the mine’s name, frames it all beautifully.

So seven found thus far.

A lovely way to say thank you to our pit ponies and the hard working miners who looked after them so superbly. Mining is an important part of our history and still goes on (minus pit ponies of course).

There are a few sites in New England that are remembered for him such as Thunderbolt’s Rock, also near Uralla. Beside the New England Highway, it has been graffitied for over a century. Also Thunderbolt’s Cave, near Tenterfield. There was a large area below where his horses were stabled. His main hideout was in the mountains of the Gloucester area. A fabulously scenic drive through the greater area is called Thunderbolt’s Way.

Equestrian statues supposedly hold a clue to the rider’s fate – four feet on the ground mean the rider died of natural causes; two feet off the ground mean the rider died in battle, one leg off the ground means the rider died of wounds received in battle. However this is more urban myth than done in practise with statues.

Thunderbolt was surprised by mounted police and fled, he was bailed up in Kentucky Creek near Uralla and called on to surrender by Constable Walker who shot the bushranger’s horse from under him. Walker alleged Thunderbolt refused to surrender, so he shot him dead in the creek.

Thunderbolt’s statue was made by sculptor Dennis Adams, unveiled in 1988 before a huge crowd. Dennis, born in Sydney in 1914, had formal art training in London. He joined up in WW2 and was made a War Artist and travelled widely in the war theatres; also made Captain of the Military History section in 1943. he passed away in 2001. He was a good painter as well as sculptor. The statue cost $70,000 paid for by the NSW government’s Bicentennial Committee.

Money for the watch and part of the reward was raised by the Sons of Temperance and Uralla locals. Not everyone wanted a bushranger in the neighbourhood.

Walker got a promotion, and went on to hunt Ned Kelly, before rising in rank even further.

In a fascinating twist, the family of Fred Ward – according to the Monument Australia website which is very good – allege it was a Harry, not Fred who was shot by Walker. Harry was Thunderbolt’s brother.

Norseman, the horse that found gold and had a town named after him in Western Australia…

Laurie Sinclair had a horse named Hardy Norseman – Norseman for short – he’d gone to stay with his brother George who was mining in the area, at that stage un-named. Norseman was tied up outside their tent at night.

On the morning of 13th of August, 1894, Laurie got up and noticed the horse was a lame (some say not lame, he was pawing the ground). Laurie went to untether the horse and examine his foot – but couldn’t believe his eyes. Norseman’s pawing had revealed solid gold! Or, the rock in his hoof was gold, two versions. Maybe both are right?! They pegged a claim, the area was Dundas, north of what became Norseman but nearby, their claim called Norseman Reward. Dundas grew but is now a ghost town, and soon efforts found more reefs in the Norseman area. Norseman is now a lovely town, plenty to see and do.

It proved an excellent gold area, Laurie, George and others struck gold within days – in no time thousands rushed there – tents and shanties of the hopeful went for miles. Umpteen claims went in – one major reef was named Hardy Norseman.

Many reefs were found in the area, many hard working miners prospered, several mining companies were formed. Shanties turned into houses, stores were built, a council formed, as Norseman town grew fast in the hot, dry region.

Things went so well that by 1898 – only four years after the discovery – even the town streets were kerbed and guttered! At least 14 reefs had been found in the area by that year, each with a company formed to mine them.

Some say Hardy Norseman had been a racehorse. He may have been, but there’s no evidence, he wasn’t registered; possibly a bush horse used for races, as picnic races were a very popular community event then.

And the name? Some say Laurie (Lawrence) Sinclair was from Shetland Island, hence of Viking stock and thus named the horse and his mine. But some sleuthing finds a more likely reason. “A Hardy Norseman” was a novel by Miss Edna Lyall, printed in serial form in newspapers of the time, 1890 and on. It was popular, so put out as a book. The hero of the book was named Frittriof Falck.

And let’s not forget our poets. Isobel Marion Dorothea MacKellar was born in Sydney in 1885, her family were wealthy. She was often described a “hopeless romantic,” and loved the arts. A wonderful poet, best known for her famous poem My Country – written when she was only 19. The alternative title she gave this poem is Core Of My Heart.

Most of her education was home schooling although she attended uni lectures when older. She was a strong swimmer, and was fluent in several languages and loved travelling – always becoming homesick for the unique Australian bush. She toured the continent, and India where she rode Australian horses. She also acted in plays put on in Sydney.

The statue has her riding side-saddle and looking toward her family’s properties Kurrumbede and The Rampadells on Blue Vale road near Gunnedah, as her horse drinks from a creek.

She was inspired to write My Country when staying on her brothers property Kurrumbede when a long drought broke. She finished it while visiting England and feeling homesick, and re-wrote it once back home. Her two brothers ran the properties, a third brother, Keith, had been killed at age 19 while fighting in the Boer War.

Although based in Sydney, Dorothea was a frequent visitor to her brother’s beautiful properties, and loved to ride when there. She was a good judge of horses, and also loved dogs. She didn’t marry, two engagements had been broken off in her young years. After 1926 when her parents were old and ill, she pretty much stopped writing as she cared for them full time. She was ill for much of her later life too.

In 1968 she was awarded an OBE for her contribution to Australian literature; she died two weeks later. Her favorite poem, Colour, was read at her service. In 2017 the Society of Women Writers paid for a marble tablet for her grave, engraved with a verse from her most famous poem.

The statue was unveiled in 1983 by the poet Rosemary Dobson. It’s exceedingly rare to have a statue of a woman, let alone one mounted, so it’s truly special and a great tribute to the writer of what most would agree is Australia’s best loved poem, My Country. There’s also a wheat silo with a verse on it and lovely paintings.

The statue was donated to the RASV in 1995 after her father passed away, by David’s daughter Mrs Diana Gibson, in memory of her father. The statue is titled An Australian Stockman. It was no doubt commissioned but can’t find out – someone may know please.

Born in 1916, after his schooling David became a member of a Light Horse regiment in the western district of Vic. – the 13th Light Horse, Berwick Troop – being promoted to Lieutenant in October 1939. He joined up for WW2, soon being made a Captain; later promoted to Major.

Major David Knox MID served with distinction in B Squadron, 6 Division Cavalry. He made it safely home. David was also a popular Master of the Melbourne Hunt Club, a family tradition – he was the grandson of Sir William Clarke, once Australia’s biggest landowner, and of the Hon. William Knox, both early supporters of the club. The Hunt Club fielded a polo team at times, and David’s family were long term polo players, his father a well known player.

David’s family lived for a time on the property Greystanes, which had been built by his wife’s ancestor Sir William Angliss. In 1946, David’s wife Eirene nee Angliss passed away after a sudden illness, leaving infant Diana, who was lovingly raised by her father; their only child. The marriage was only 4 years old. He remarried after a time, to another keen horsewoman, Ermine Mary Irving; they lived on Gundamain, Nagambie; where years later he passed away from cancer in 1995.

Images: The stockman statue dedicated to Major David Knox. Photo by Roy Somerset, on the wikitree page for David Knox; Major David William Robert Knox, wikitree: David Knox, Master MHC, with his wife (Ermine nee Irving), horses and hounds, The Argus, 15th June 1948

The bronze was made by renown sculptor Stephen Walker. He had his own big foundry at his home in the country at Campania in Tassie, I was fortunate enough to visit a few times as a youngster. A lovely down to earth chap who was passionate about his art. The following from his website…

“Stephen Walker was born in the Melbourne suburb of North Balwyn in 1927. He grew up in Beeac, a town in the Western District of Victoria. Stephen’s father died when Stephen was only aged nine, a result of falling from a windmill. Stephen’s mother then moved the family to Colac.

Stephen studied painting at RMIT from 1945 to 48; and at Hobart Technical College under Jack Carrington Smith 1948-50. His later taught at Hobart Tech College from 1951 to 1953.

Stephen worked with Henry Moore in United Kingdom from 1954-56; worked in Tasmania from 1957, and then Italy 1960-61; followed by Prague, Czechoslovakia 1963; and then Sydney until 1973 when he primarily worked from his foundry in Campania Tasmania.”

Stephen Walker passed away in 2014, aged 86.

Hopefully those who visit the showground may seek this statue out – of a good man, made by a good man, and a very Australian theme. A fitting tribute to David Knox, a keen rider who loved horses and was only too aware of their contribution to our pastoral industry, about which he was passionate and actively promoted.

• Section: Let's Not Forget, Waler Tales