Thank you to all who joined us at dawn to gather on the Village Green in a moving service united in remembrance on ANZAC Day. It was wonderful to see our students, Old Boys, staff, families and the wider community come together to commemorate. We paid respects to the TSS Old Boys who lost their lives in combat, as well as many men and women who have served and given everything for the freedom we have today.
The Memorial for the Fallen was officially unveiled, a special ANZAC memorial commissioned by the school in tribute to the 132 TSS Old Boys who died in military conflict since 1915. This timeless memorial also pays tribute and respect to all Australians who participate in military conflicts and peacekeeping efforts – past, present and future. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has generously donated to the Memorial for the Fallen thus far, your support is deeply appreciated.
The Great War of 1914-1918 saw over 416,000 Australians volunteer to serve their nation. Among them were three quarters of all eligible Old Boys from The Southport School. Of the 271 TSS Old Boys who enlisted, 52 never returned home. The horse in the memorial represents over 39,000 Australian horses that accompanied our troops overseas, only one returned to its homeland. Through shared suffering and mutual empathy, the Australian Light horsemen formed lasting and often profound relationships with their beloved mounts. We remember the role these animals played.
The sculpture was created by artist Liam Hardy, a TSS parent who has dedicated nearly 30 years to creating sculptures and art projects. A background in figurative bronze sculpture, film set creation and thematic projects has given Liam unique artistic and creative skills. Notably, early in his career, Liam was selected to work on the Tokyo Disney Sea project as well as on sculpture projects in Macau, China. Continually developing and improving his art practice, Liam founded Sculpt Studios in 2011 and has assembled a diverse and highly skilled team of artistic fabricators. Liam’s passion for creating lasting and meaningful artworks for the public arena has seen him commissioned to create bronze statues of some of Queensland’s most celebrated sporting heroes and, more recently, the Queensland State memorial in ANZAC Square of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dedicated War Memorial.
Lest we forget.
