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Dorothea MackellarPrint Page 
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The sculpture commemorates the Australian poet, Dorothea Mackellar, O.B.E.
Isobel Marion Dorothea Mackellar (better known as Dorothea Mackellar), OBE (1885 – 1968) was an Australian poet and fiction writer. Her poem My Country is perhaps the best known Australian poem
The Mackellar family owned several properties in the Gunnedah area, including "Kurrumbede" and "The Rampadells" on the Blue Vale Road near Gunnedah. Dorothea Mackellar, author of the poem My Country, found the inspiration for that poem on her brother`s property `Kurrembede` where she witnessed the breaking of a severe drought. The first draft of what was to become Australia`s most quoted and best loved poem, My Country, was written in England at a time when Dorothea was feeling homesick. Never quite content with the verses, she wrote and re-wrote the poem several times after returning to Australia.
In the New Year's Day Honours of 1968, Dorothea Mackellar was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her contribution to Australian literature. She died two weeks later. She is buried with her father and family in Waverley Cemetery overlooking the open ocean. Also her poem Colour, her own favourite, was read at the service.
Statue Unveiling 1983Location
| Address: | Oxley Highway & South Street, ANZAC Park, Gunnedah, 2380 |
|---|---|
| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -30.982834 Long: 150.253769 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Sculpture |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Arts |
| Designer: | Dennis Adams |
| Link: | http://adb.anu.edu.au/ |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Wednesday 26th January, 1983 |
|---|
" I LOVE A SUNBURNT COUNTRY
A LAND OF SWEEPING PLAINS
OF RAGGED MOUNTAIN RANGES
OF DROUGHTS AND FLOODING RAINS... "
DOROTHEA MACKELLAR O.B.E.
1885-1968
THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA
THE CHILDREN OF NSW & THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
UNVEILED ON AUSTRALIA DAY 26 JANUARY 1983
BY THE POET
ROSEMARY DOBSON
