Shattered digger statue made whole once more

Remembrance Day 2025, when the restored Digger statue at the Manly War Memorial in Brisbane was unveiled.
Remembrance Day 2025, when the restored Digger statue at the Manly War Memorial in Brisbane was unveiled.

 

Broken pieces of the Digger statue from the Manly War Memorial

In 1992, a historic statue of a Digger at the Manly War Memorial in Brisbane was shattered by vandals and thought to be lost until it was unearthed in a Council shed in 2013. There it sat for a decade, until the local community rallied to restore this unique piece of their military history.

Nearby Iona College has led a project to ensure the statue was returned to its former glory, and endure as a testament to those who have sacrificed so much. After almost a year of work by a college alumnus, stonemason Dan Gill, the restored statue was unveiled last year on Remembrance Day. 

Iona College Principal Trevor Goodwin said that the project was a massive undertaking, and one that relied on an incredible amount of hard work from a lot of people inside and outside of Iona. ‘To see the reaction of the Diggers and veterans when the statue was officially unveiled on Remem­brance Day made that long and difficult journey worthwhile,’ Principal Goodwin said. 

The statue itself was one ele­ment of the newly established Iona War Memorial, with the second key element being a Lone Pine tree. This symbol of resilience and remembrance was generously donated by another Iona College alumnus, Phillip Armstrong, with the hope the memorial becomes a space of reflection, education and gratitude. 

 

 

 

Digger statue being re-erected at the Manly War Memorial.

‘The Spirit of the Anzacs lives within this memorial because its restoration was one of commitment, resilience, team­work, determination and service,’ Principal Goodwin added. ‘We are very proud of what has been achieved, prouder still of the involvement of Iona and our Old Boys, and very humble in accepting the gratitude of our community for restoring the fallen digger back to active duty. 

‘There’s been a remarkable outpouring of genuine emo­tion...an integral part of our community’s history had been brought back to life.’ 

Iona College worked in part­nership with the Manly-Lota RSL, Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Government to complete the project, which was supported by a grant from DVA’s Saluting Their Service (STS) Com­memorative Grants Program. At the centre of this and many other innovative projects are collabo­rations between dedicated locals, the veteran community, and DVA, ensuring our wartime heritage is honoured, preserved and shared with future generations. 

To find out more, visit the DVA website.