Lennie statue gains pace
WHEN Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb guides ask those in their group from where they hail and they hear the name Leongatha, it strikes a major chord.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Leongatha are linked by a boy, nine year old Lennie Gwyther and his horse, Ginger Mick, who rode the 1000 kilometres to witness the bridge’s opening in 1932.
Those guides will one day be able to tell tourists that a bronze statue of Lennie and Ginger Mick is in Leongatha in honour of the nine year old’s inspirational achievement.
A committee was formed at an inaugural meeting recently where preliminary discussions took place and already one or two ‘sticking points’ have been resolved.
While previously mooted to be half sized and with Lennie standing beside his horse, it has been decide the statue will be life sized (the horse 14.5 hands) and Lennie will be in the saddle.
South Gippsland Shire Councillor Bob Newton, who began the push to bring Lennie home, wants the statue erected before he leaves office in two years’ time.
“I want it launched by the time I leave council,” he said.
“The statue is my baby.”
Where the statue is located is yet to be decided.
Cr Newton prefers Rotary Park while others are gunning for the statue to occupy a prominent position in the redesigned Bair Street, planned to happen once the heavy vehicle alternate route has been built.
If Bair Street is the decision, it will be three to four years before the location is ready, but Cr Newton said in that case a permit would be sought for a temporary location in front of Leongatha Memorial Hall.
“This is an icon, a drawcard,” he said.
Arrow Bronze in Dandenong has quoted $50,000 to build the statue but the committee is seeking $60,000 to complete the project which will involve signs and other accessories.
The committee already has $5000 and public donations, no matter how small, are invited.
All donations, in perpetuity, will be recognised in the environs of the statue.
Leongatha resident Glenn Wright, who is on the committee said, “Lennie Gwyther should be as famous as Ned Kelly or Burke and Wills.”
The young boy is nothing short of a hero.
With his father incapacitated with a broken leg, the nine year old, using his own initiative, kept the farm at Leongatha South going and saved the crops.
As a reward his parents granted him his wish to see the harbour bridge opening ceremony and thus began his 1000 kilometre journey.
By the time Lennie reached Canberra his journey had captured the public’s imagination to the point where he was met by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons.
In Sydney his arrival was greeted with great interest and he became part of the official opening procession to cross the bridge on March 19.
On his return to Leongatha on July 10, a huge crowd turned out and hundreds attended a civic reception.
At Leongatha South, the Great Southern Rail Trail passes through the Gwyther farm and consistent with the rail trail committee of management’s goals, chairman Neville Pulham said a bench seat and some information for trail users at that point would be appropriate to mark the spot.
Committee members appointed were Cr Newton, Mr Wright, president of the Leongatha Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peter Watchorn, council’s manager of community strengthening Ned Dennis and three members of the Leongatha Rotary Club: Kerry Fisher, Gordon Morrison and president Shirley Seabrook.
Location, location and location: Glenn Wright indicates one possibility for the site of a statue erected to commemorate the amazing journey of Leongatha legend Lennie Gwyther, in Bair Street.
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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Jul 7 2015. Filed under Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
