The first of three Anzac Centenary commemorative sculptures was launched at Moss Vale Railway Station on Friday.
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Three years in development, the commemorative sculpture offers the chance to learn of untold stories about railway men who enlisted and fought in World War 1.
A project by Southern Tablelands Arts, the sculptures offer an opportunity to reveal and honour the powerful link that many veterans had to jobs in the NSW railway network.
The commemorative sculpture also shines a light on the socio-economic role of the NSW railways in providing employment to WW1 veterans, the impact on their families and communities. It also provides a way for the descendants of these men to remember and celebrate their family members.
During the research phase Southern Tableands Arts were able to find living descendants - daughters, grandchildren and other relations who have strong memories of these men and who are now the custodians of precious items of memorabilia and family stories.
War records, railway staff records, citations, medals and photos were just some of the memorabilia that illustrated family stories gathered in the research and consultation stages of this project.
The acclaimed visual artist Tracy Luff developed designs for each of the commemorative sculpture sites in Goulburn, Moss Vale and Picton.
Ms Luff said she chose symbols from the research to represent various aspects that were common experiences for the returning veterans.
“I was drawn the stories of struggle in the aftermath of the Great War for the railway workers,” she said.
Southern Tablelands Art Director said a QR code was located with each artwork to enable people who visit any of the commemorative sculptures to learn more by using their smart phone/device.
“Considerable thought has gone into how to share the stories and memorabilia to help build an appreciation of this little known aspect of NSW railway history and heritage and use the wealth of material identified and documented,” she said.
NSW Trains has been an important part of the project and is the manager for the Moss Vale railway station and its gardens.
The memorial sculpture will be deeded to NSW Trains on project completion. A key source of funding for the project was the Anzac Centenary Cultural Fund.
Ms Conroy said the project could not have proceeded without these funds and the support of NSW Trains and Trainlink.