Memorial removal and restoration postponed

THE removal of Sturt Street’s Boer War Memorial, in preparation for restoration, has been postponed due to its fragility.

Meridian Sculpture Foundry began works to take the statue, made of beaten copper with a hessian and plaster core, off its granite base this week, but since its last removal in the early 1980s, the piece is weaker than art conservationists expected.

Kate Gerritsen, City of Ballarat’s Public Art Coordinator said the assessment team, including local conservator Jude Schahinger and staff from the University of Melbourne’s Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, is dedicated to the longevity of the memorial which features a trooper helping a colleague onto his horse.

“The Boer War Memorial is an important part of our public art collection with a very specific set of needs. These needs change over time as the piece has been exposed to the elements for over 100 years,” she said.

“Our initial conservation assessments have revealed that we need to take even greater care with the piece, and so we are revisiting the removal plan.”

The statue is on the Victorian War Heritage Inventory and is frequently reviewed in order to ensure its integrity.

Temporary fencing will be in place around the memorial, which lives opposite the Town Hall, until the removal begins again. This is expected to happen next month.