Offering a helping hand to his mate
Faithe JonesTo complement the Avenues of Honour, an appeal was undertaken by the Rose Park Improvement Association in 1919 to enable the construction of a monument, on which will be inscribed the name of every soldier of the District who died on active service. £750 was raised by donations and fundraising events.
Sculpted by Australian C. Web Gilbert, the bronze statue was cast in Paris and unveiled by Governor Sir Tom Bridges on 13 December 1925. It depicts a soldier going “over the top” and offering a helping hand to his mate.
The pedestal is grey granite and bears the names of 88 fallen soldiers. Interestingly, the sculptor made an error in the statue’s design, with the bolt of the soldier’s rifle being on the wrong side.
