The figures exude warmth and character: partly from the luminous tones of the varnished wood, and partly because their expressive faces suggest the stories they carry, stories learned from local servicemen and woman.
In 2003, local chainsaw artist, Leigh Conkie, carved a set of sculptures in the park from newly-felled cypress. The stumps were never separated from the earth in which they had grown. As a consequence, they began a slow but inevitable transition back into the soil.
In 2017, we collaborated with Conkie, master carver Hikaru Kodama from Japan and designer and project manager Amanda Grant on creating a new series of sculptures inspired by the experiences of those who had been to war and those who had remained. The original sculptures were farewelled in a ceremonial fire and the new sculptures were unveiled as part of Anzac Day and Remembrance Day commemorations in 2018.