Homefront art installation

In Greensborough War Memorial Park stands a series of carved wood figures. On any day you’ll see children playing among them, dog walkers winding through them and people reaching out to touch them as they would an old friend.

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.

Sculpture gallery

The Homefront sculptures acknowledge and celebrate the resilience of service men, women, their families and communities.

Original sculptures and fire ceremony

The sculptures replace this original series of sculptures that stood in the park for 14 years. They were burned in a ceremonial fire in 2017.

Nurse

The World War I nurse with her armful of blankets and attendant kookaburra and steel gumtree twig depicts the vital role of women in war. The kookaburra, representative of home, is also the symbol of the War Widow’s Guild.

Light Horse

Inspired by the Aboriginal servicemen (and their horses) who served in the Boer War and World War I, this sculpture also depicts the Wurundjeri legend of Bunjil the Eagle and Waa the Crow.

Pilot & Sailor

The World War II bomber pilot and naval shipman are partnered with a replica Wirraway aircraft propeller, a ship propeller, compass points and steel knotwork.

The Letter

Representing sadness, loss and longing, the sculpture is designed so people can sit next to the figure. Holding a letter in her hand and with a tear-stained face, the woman has a heart-shaped hole piercing her chest.

Modern Combat

A pair of soldiers stand back-to-back. The female figure wears the uniform of Australian peacekeeping forces in East Timor, while her male counterpart is dressed in the Australian Army uniform worn in Afghanistan.

Reunion

A young boy runs across the park towards his father, a returned soldier. This piece was inspired by a story of a local Vietnam veteran returning home from war.

Vietnam

An Australian Vietnam War soldier, wearing an eyepatch, is tethered to the ground by 2 grasping hands. He stands with his rifle behind a screen featuring Huey helicopters and rubber tree plants.

Justin the Tracker Dog

Representative of the 11 black tracker dogs used in the Vietnam War, this sculpture bears the name and spirit of Justin, much loved by his last handler, Greensborough local Denis Rowlands. The sculpture is encircled with the names of each of the 11 dogs who never returned home.

The Homefront sculptures online resources was supported by the Victorian Government and the Victorian Veterans Council.