By Michael Doran
After five years in development, the Seville War Memorial is finally taking shape. The first stage of the memorial will be unveiled on Sunday 12 May to coincide with the centenary of the homecoming of George Ingram, the Yarra Valley’s only Victoria Cross recipient.
Wayne De Klijn, who has lived in Seville for more than 30 years, is the man behind the design and construction of the memorial.
“After I completed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Seymour I was asked to do this one and I jumped at the opportunity. We always wanted to put a memorial back in Seville when the pool was closed and it’s just a great thing to do in my own town, it’s been quite an honour.”
He said the end product is the culmination of years of work that started at Seville Primary School. “Once the site was picked we wanted to involve the kids because it’s next to the water play park and the playground,” he said.
“At the same time the school asked to be involved as a learning experience for the kids and because George Ingram was a former pupil there. We did a workshop with the kids to come up with their idea for a war memorial.
“The War Memorial Committee also held community workshops and we took all the ideas and integrated them into the design and since then it has largely been about raising the money.”
A cenotaph was part of the thinking from the start but the consultation process led to a fresh look and a unique design and build where all the components are custom made.
The memorial is designed to carry four panels, one of which is dedicated to George Ingram VC and that will be in place for the May opening. The timing for the remaining three depends on how quickly the final funds can be raised, which at this stage total around $75,000.
Chair of the Seville War Memorial Committee, Anthony McAleer said the memorial will be unveiled in stages as each new panel is installed.
“This has been planned to be both a war memorial and a public work of art and there is nothing like this in Australia,” he said. “All four panels will contain images and information about Seville’s ANZAC heritage.”
In years gone by, a drive through most country towns would reveal a memorial of a soldier on a column with space for a wreath at its foot. The Seville memorial also commemorates those who served but in a modern, contemporary design that will make it relevant and enticing for generations to come.
To make a donation, which is tax deductible, go to www.frrr.org.au and search for Seville War Memorial.
