Soldiers Memorial Gate, Blackheath, NSW

• Community initiative, funded and built

• Supported by Blue Mountains City Council

• Local history recorded in close collaboration with RSL sub-branch

• Engineers - Ascent, Blackheath

• Steel Fabricator - Art is an Option, Dargan

• Construction Team - Owen Kelly, Henryk Topolnicki, Terry, Zach, Steve, Dylan

• Earthworks - Tony Crawford Earthmoving

• Landscaping - Paul Vale, Wayne Kelly, Sally McTaggart, Bobbie Bayley

A community driven initiative to formalise and beautiful the entry to a local park. The idea was to create something both monumental and fleeting, solid rusted steel wings impose over you for an instance as you pass through their fine frame. The names of the soldiers from the local area are etched onto the stainless steel rays that you walk past, not just their names but their professions, age and time served to build a story of people and identity not just names on a list. The solid brick wall offers a variety os seats and permeability to the park with a soldier course standing stationary at attention. The stainless steel faces east catching the rising sun, a final salute.

The gates were built by totally local labour, much of which was volunteered, including the brick laying, engineering and much of the earthworks. Bricks, sand and cement were donated locally and funding for the steel work was sourced by community groups and local grants.

Designed to allow pedestrian access at all times yet open for vehicular access when required. They are now incorporated into the Blue Mountains City Council master plan of the park redevelopment and define the eastern entry avenue.

Photos by : Jeremy Stokes