Homeless StatuePrint Page

The scrap metal statue honours homeless veterans who have served in conflicts in which Australia has been involved. The statue hopes to raise the awareness of veteran homelessness and lack of support for returned service people.

The statue also includes a poem entitled The Homeless Soldier to tell his story by Rockingham councillor and veteran Hayley Edwards. She was part of the Aeromedical Evacuation Team for the Bali Bombings in 2002.  The poem was influenced by her own trauma of losing friends to suicide post returning from traumatic events whilst serving, which is connected with the plight of the homeless veteran, who are at high risk of drug/alcohol abuse which increases the likelihood of suicide.

The statue, was made by Port Kennedy veteran, Laurie Drage, with the assistance of manpower from Owen Farmer, as well as financial support.

A first of its kind statue — raising awareness of the tragic issue of veteran homelessness — will be unveiled in Rockingham next month.

Laurie Drage, a Port Kennedy resident and veteran who served as a medic with the United Nations in Africa, spent 646 hours over nearly two years constructing the ‘nameless homeless veteran’. The final statue will be unveiled on Vietnam Veterans Day, August 18, at midday at the Rockingham RSL. It is understood to be the only statue in the country honouring homeless veterans.

Mr Drage said seeing the plight of homeless veterans spurred him into action and he decided to take on the project himself “Everything is made from leftover bits of scrap metal. I’ve picked it all up into big buckets and brought it home,” Mr Drage said. “If a piece would fit I’d put it in and if it didn’t fit I wouldn’t make it. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle.”

The statue’s eyes are made of ball bearings, his beard is from bike spokes, his hands are from motorbike chains and his legs are from exhaust pipes. Mr Drage said the public would be encouraged to come and shake the statue’s hand and “say G’day”. He said the goal was to bring veteran homelessness to the “forefront”. “Everything the statue owns is in his duffel bag and his blanket over his head is his shield and protection from the outside world,” Mr Drage said. “He’s nameless because people see the homeless on the street and they ignore them.”

The statue will also include a poem entitled The Homeless Soldier to tell his story by Rockingham councillor and veteran Hayley Edwards. “It’s a story to help people think about the issue of veteran homelessness,” Cr Edwards said. “People could have been serving us and fighting for our freedoms and for many this is their life now, which is tragic.”

The official unveiling next month is open to the public. Homeless advocate Owen Farmer, who helped organise the project, said schools would be encouraged to visit the statue for excursions.
Sound Telegraph (WA), 26 July 2021.

Location

Address:	Memorial Drive , City of Rockingham RSL, Peron, 6168
State:	WA
Area:	AUS
GPS Coordinates:	Lat: -32.278591 Long: 115.70318 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.

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Details

Monument Type:	Sculpture
Monument Theme:	Conflict
Sub-Theme:	Multiple
Artist:	Laurie Drage

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:	Wednesday 18th August, 2021

Source: MA