A metal sculpture, honouring our country’s veterans has been officially unveiled at a ceremony hosted by the Wasleys Community Group (WCG).
Named Charlie, the sculpture was made by local Wasley’s resident Mr Glenn Haar as a tribute his great uncle, Lance Corporal Charles Henry Haar, who served in WW1.
WCG Chairperson, Ms Jenny Polley, said that the Charles Haar served two tours, returning home once because of illness, before going missing in action in Belgium, and declared killed in action, on 4 October 1917.
“Glenn’s statue honours not only his great uncle, but all service members, symbolising the invisible wounds of conflict through the gaps in Charlie,” said Ms Polley.
One of the guest speakers at the ceremony was the Member for Light, Mr Tony Piccolo who said that the message of the “invisible wounds” suffered by our veterans was particularly timely and poignant, given the findings of the recent Royal Commission into the deaths our service personnel.
“Successive governments have let down our veterans badly, and hopefully Charlie will be a reminder to all of us that we need to do better,” said Mr Piccolo.
Ms Polley also extended her gratitude to Mr Glenn Haar for his assistance in planning and co-ordinating the construction of the platform on which Charlie now stands, and it became his permanent home on Sunday, 11th August 2024.
Shaun Layton, Dawn and Lewis Richter were thanked for all their work in collecting materials and artefacts from the town’s 150th birthday celebrations, which are now housed in a time capsule located in the plinth.
At the ceremony, a remembrance Chair was also unveiled by Mayor Bill O’Brien and Jenny Polley, which was donated by the Light Regional Council, symbolising the town’s proud defence personnel.
The chair features the inscription, “Lest We Forget” along with the symbols representing each branch of the defence forces- Navy, army and Airforce, and adorned with poppies on either side.
WCG treasurer, Ms Kelly Richards said the “stunning chair will be cherished by future generations as the community continues to honour our veterans at ANZAC and Remembrance Day services.”
Mr Piccolo said the original rock memorial that was officially unveiled in 2015, when combined with Charlie’s statue, and the beautiful remembrance chair, have now created a wonderful reflection park where people can quietly sit and honour our veterans and be grateful for their sacrifice.
Mr Ian Young, a representative from the nearby Freeling RSL and Ms Penny Pratt, the Member for Frome, were also in attendance at the service.