MemorialsThe Junction Soldiers' Monument
About
The Junction Soldiers' Monument consists of a white marble soldier, standing atop a sandstone pillar. The pillar features white marble columns and inlays. It is set on a platform, six steps above street level. The monument originally sat in the middle of a triangle section of land bounded by Kenrick Street, Glebe Road, and Corlette Street. Corlette Street between Kenrick Street and Glebe Road has since been closed. In 1989, the suburb of The Junction was damaged by the Newcastle earthquake and the memorial was significantly damaged. The Newcastle City Council Collections has created a database of images relating to the damage. After it was ruined, John Gallespie began investigating who sculpted the soldier. He knew it was done in Italy but had no further information. Jill Bennett, Local Studies Library Technician at the Newcastle City Library, tracked down the sculptors in Italy. In 1991, Mario Pedrini of Pedrini Mario & Co. Sculptors made the replacement soldier. He based the soldier on photos provided by R F Gaites Monumental Stone Masons and material from Newcastle Library regarding the 303 rifle and clothing details. Additional information about this memorial is available from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage website.