'Fallen soldier' lives again in new Iona College War Memorial

Since our foundational years, Iona has always been a place of deep community connection.

During 2023, the College took possession of the historic damaged Digger statue from the Manly War Memorial. 

In 1992, the statue was largely destroyed by vandals, and was thought to have been lost for many years until it was discovered in a Council shed in 2013, where it sat for a decade.

In partnership with the Manly-Lota RSL, Brisbane City Council, the Queensland Government, and the Federal Department of Veterans' Affairs, Iona undertook the task of restoring this important part of our local history.

It’s arrival at the College, shattered into pieces and inside a wooden crate, was a vital and along-awaited step in this major community project that will culminate with the unveiling of a new war memorial on Iona’s campus later this year.

This historic addition to the College will serve as a lasting tribute to all those who have served, ensuring their sacrifices are never forgotten.

The damaged statue was sent to stonemason and Iona Old Boy (Class of 1990) Dan Gill for expert restoration. 

After almost a year of work and care, including sourcing marble from the same quarry in Italy that was used for the creation of the original statue, the Digger is ready to return 

The restored statue was be formally unveiled at Iona’s ANZAC Day service on 24 April and its story told by Iona Old Boy, Wing Commander Tim Pook of the Royal Australian Air Force, marking a significant moment for the College and the broader community. 

The War Memorial itself is planned for completion in time for Remembrance Day, providing a sacred space of reflection, education, and gratitude for generations to come.

A key element of the memorial will be the Lone Pine, generously donated by Old Boy Phillip Armstrong.

This tree carries deep historical significance, symbolising resilience and remembrance, and will stand alongside the restored statue as a living testament to the courage of those who served.

The purpose of the Iona War Memorial is to create a place of reflection, education, and gratitude for those who have served our country. 

It will honour the service and sacrifice of all who have defended our nation, particularly the men and women of Iona and their families who have served and continue to serve in conflicts around the world. 

This initiative is more than just a restoration project. Iona College has a proud history of alumni who have served in the armed forces, and this War Memorial will ensure their legacy endures for years to come and instils in our students the values of service, leadership, and respect.

You can read an edited version of Wing Commander Pook's ANZAC Day service address below.

Anzac Day 2025 marks the 110th anniversary of the day and the battle that defined us as a nation, and as Australians.

Fought on a battlefield on the other side of the planet, the landing at Gallipoli was instrumental in forging our identity and the characteristics that define us as Australians like mateship, bravery, resilience and fairness.

When the war broke out, Australia – as a nation – was only 14 years old. Prior to January 1, 1901, Queensland was one of six self-governing British colonies.

Australia’s population in 1914 was less than five million people. By the end of the First World War, more than 416,000 people had enlisted to serve in the armed forces – a bit over eight percent of the population. 

For reference, eight percent of our current population works out to around two-and-a-quarter million people.

Of the 416,000 who enlisted in 1914, 330,000 served overseas. Of them, 156,000 were wounded, gassed or taken prisoner. More than 60,000 were killed and never came home at all.

Many of you here today may have an ancestor who enlisted for that war, or fought at Gallipoli. For some of you though, 110 years ago may seem like ancient history that you struggle to connect with.

But you don’t have to dig too far into the story of Gallipoli to find a connection that hits close to home.

For example, when Australia entered the war on 5 August 1914, it didn’t take very long for local men from the Wynnum-Manly area to sign up to defend our country. 

The first to put his name down was a man named Christopher Uhlmann, a butcher from the small suburb of Lindum.

I am sure all of us, students, teachers and parents would find it easy to connect to the story of Private Jim Martin, who was from Melbourne. He lied about his age and enlisted. He was sent to Gallipoli, and died there. He was 14 years of age.

On Anzac Day, we remember Jim and Christopher, and all of the sons and daughters, mums and dads, members of families and communities, who defended our country in World War 1 and all subsequent conflicts around the world.

We honour their memory on days like this, and through permanent, public displays of respect and remembrance such as war memorials around Australia that signify our nation’s gratitude.

Cambridge Parade at Manly has one such war memorial, where many of you tomorrow will represent Iona at the Anzac Day service.

The Manly War Memorial was built in 1921 to honour the men, women and families of our community who sacrificed so much in the First World War.

At the top of the monument stood the statue of a digger, his head bowed beneath the famous Australian slouch in mourning for fallen mates.

The digger was crafted from marble sourced from the famous Carrara quarries in Italy – the same quarries that supplied marble to Michaelangelo.

The statue is modelled on a real digger who served at Gallipoli - William Henry Dodd, who was originally from Jondaryan near Toowoomba, and later was a member of the Manly-Lota RSL. 

After returning from the war, the local diggers were given the option of keeping their uniforms, or exchanging them for a new suit. Dodd decided to keep his uniform and, as a way of saying thanks, agreed to be the model for the statue. 

Unfortunately, over the years, the statue was the target of repeated acts of vandalism. Despite everything the statue represented for our community, it was damaged many times. Often the statue’s rifle was stolen.

In 1992, this beautiful piece of art and important part of our community’s history was destroyed when two vandals used chains attached to a car to pull it to the ground. 

For many years after, the digger remained missing from the memorial until it was replaced by a replica made of concrete in 2007.

The remains of the destroyed original statue were thought lost for 20 years until the once proud digger, now reduced to a pile of rubble, was discovered at a council depot in 2013.

While suggestions were made about restoring the statue, the cost of replacing the marble and the extensive damage caused by the vandals meant that the statue was declared as being beyond repair.

But four years ago, because of the statue’s importance to our community’s history, Iona College and the Manly-Lota RSL instigated a plan to repair and restore the damaged statue. 

The plan was to make the original statue the centrepiece of a new War Memorial that would be commissioned for the College grounds - so that it could be appreciated, honoured and respected by future generations. 

After four years of work in partnership with Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, the Brisbane City Council, the Queensland Government, and – most importantly – the Federal Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Minister Matt Keough, this week the digger returned home to Iona.

Restored to his former glory, as you can see in the pictures behind me, the digger will soon be installed at the centre of the new Iona War Memorial, with construction to begin soon ahead of its official opening on Remembrance Day in November this year.

Fittingly, in keeping with the community connection, the incredible work in repairing and restoring the digger was done by an Iona Old Boy, Daniel Gill, who was a Senior of the Class of 1990 and now lives in Adelaide as an incredibly talented and passionate stone mason.

His meticulous work – right down to sourcing the marble for the repair work from the original Carrara quarry in Italy – is a fitting tribute to everything this statue represents.

Once completed, the Iona War Memorial will honour all the men and women who have served, and continue to serve, their country as a member of the Australian Defence Forces – particularly those who have done so as members of the Iona community.

It will be a permanent and daily reminder to you, as young Australians, of the sacrifice of our diggers, their legacy, and their importance to Australia’s history and identity.

Finally, the new memorial will also be a lasting tribute to the Australian fighting spirit as the wounded solider statue, broken by vandals and then thought lost, was brought back to life to again watch over its community and honour those who were lost defending our nation.

I am very proud to serve as a member of the Royal Australian Air Force, and just as proud to be an Ionian. I thank you all for the opportunity to share this story today.

Thank you, God bless, and lest we forget.