Winged Victory statue MIA for ANZAC Day

This ANZAC Day saw Marrickville without its iconic ‘Winged Victory’ statue for the second year in a row.

Sitting atop the World War 1 Memorial outside Marrickville Town Hall since 1919, the sculpture was removed for repairs in 1962 and placed in the Petersham works depot, until it was resurrected in 1988 as part of Council’s Bicentennial program.

The statue was taken down again in April 2009 due to public safety concerns. Large cracks appeared in the statue and concerns about its stability and the potential for injury to members of the public were the reasons cited.

Subsequently, Marrickville Council had the sculpture assessed by an expert and it was deemed more cost-effective for Council to replace the statue with a lightweight replica. Council said the costs of the existing repairs and future maintenance would have far exceeded the cost of purchasing a replacement.

“It’s a bronze statue and where it attaches to the plinth is not a good solid connection,” Marrickville Councillor Victor Macri said of the existing statue. “The metal was fatiguing, so Council is now looking at building a lightweight replica and the original statue will be displayed elsewhere. I’m hoping that they have the replica finished by the end of the year… it’s a thoughtful process, it’s not just going to be a wham-bam job.”

Cr Macri said that he remembered walking past the monument, sans statue, on his way to school as a child and that he wanted the plinth on which the statue had sat restored to its former glory. He added some of the gold leaf and names on the memorial were in poor condition and should be restored.

A new statue has since been purchased and is currently sitting in storage, awaiting its chance to once again spread its wings and adorn the war memorial pillar.

The Winged Victory statue was erected in 1919. It serves as a memorial to honour those who fought in the First World War. Standing at over four metres tall, it is considered the largest bronze casting on a memorial in Australia.