World War Two MemorialPrint Page

The sculpture commemorates those who served in World War Two and the war history connected to the town when an Avro Anson plane crashed near the town during World War Two. 

A new sculpture in Tarlee capturing a piece of the town’s World War Two history was unveiled last Friday, August 13, at the town’s visitor information bay.

Sculptor Tony Howard from Steel Sculpt in Angaston combed through Tarlee’s history and found during World War II a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Avro Anson plane crashed in a field close to the town.

This particular story stuck with Tony, so he created the sculpture from a donated Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah 7 Piston Aeroplane engine, the same as the one in the plane that crashed.

World War II Veteran Clem Walters, 97, helped unveil the engine sculpture alongside Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council mayor Wayne Thomas. Clem joined the RAAF in 1942 and his first station was at the Mallala base, serving as a Leading Air Craftsman. “It means something to me because it was the first engine I worked on in the Air Force, so it was good to see it up there,” Clem said.

The sculpture was one of the projects undertaken with $1 million of funding from round two of the federal government’s Drought Communities Program.

Also in attendance at the unveiling was Gavin Dunn who saw the remnants of the fallen plane the day after his grandfather witnessed the crash happen during the war. “I was seven, but it left an indelible imprint on my mind my entire life,” Gavin said.

The sculpture unveiling coincided with the official renaming of the rest area to The Frank Gorey Visitor Information Bay to recognise his “tireless work for the community”.

Frank worked at the Tarlee silos for 15 years alongside heavy involvement and countless volunteer hours maintaining the gardening through the town, mowing lawns at the Tarlee Oval and looking after the greens at the bowling club. He was also the chairperson of the town committee for many years and was honoured by the permanent acknowledgement.

“I feel very proud and humbled, all the work I did when I was here, I did because I enjoyed doing it,” Frank said.

Various locals donated labour, services and materials to reinvigorate the Tarlee Information Bay, which has new garden beds complete with donated irrigation and plants. “It was wonderful, the amount of people who just wanted to give and come out and help,” Tarlee Art Installation Team member Merran Riddle said. “It was great and to see the fruits of the labour as it is now, and things are starting to flower we know that we’ve done great.”
Plains Producer, 4 April 2022. 

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