By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
WITH a deft hand Casey Mayor Mick Morland removed the veil this week that covered the new bronze statue of his municipality’s namesake.
The seven-foot bronze statue of Lord Richard Gavin Gardiner Casey – installed on the central median strip in High Street, Berwick – was unveiled at a special ceremony on Wednesday morning attended by many residents as well as a host of federal and state politicians and Casey councillors.
President of the Casey-Cardinia Branch of the National Trust, Ruth Crofts, told guests the installation of the statue, created by renowned artist Louis Laumen, had been many years in the making.
“Today as we stand here before this, to be unveiled statue of Lord Casey, I’m pleased to see the culmination of a community initiative and the successful completion of this project by the City of Casey,” she said.
“The statue is a tribute to a great man who gave outstanding service to his country over many decades, so it’s pleasing to see the statue erected here in his home town of Berwick.”
Berwick RSL President Ray Heathcote, who also spoke at the ceremony, said he recalled when Ruth first came up with the seeds of an idea for the Lord Casey statue roughly a decade ago.
“This is I think Ruth’s idea about 10 years ago and that’s where it started. It’s gone through lots of perutations to get to this stage, different groups,” he said.
“But in the end it’s the Casey Council that’s bitten the bullet and decided to actually push forward with it and we have to acknowledge that (Casey Mayor) Mick has been a driving force in that.
“Just as we trust in the youth of today to take forward our messages and to take forward the work that we do, so it’s important to acknowledge those people who have come before us, particularly people like Richard Casey, who played such an important role in the formation of our country and what we are today.
“And I just think it’s appropriate that when we have our service here on Anzac Day, and in Anzac Days to come, that Lord Richard Casey will be standing here among those people that come to commemorate Anzac Day.”
Lord Casey served in the Australian forces at Gallipoli and was awarded the Military Cross and Distinguished Service Order for intelligence gathering.
He went on to serve his country as a minister, diplomat, and governor around the world as well as in Australia. His final and most prestigious appointment was as Governor-General of Australia from which he retired in 1969.
In between postings, the Casey family lived at Edrington in Berwick and city was named in his honour when it was established in 1994.
Casey Mayor Mick Morland said he was honoured council were able to fund the $110,000 sculpture after getting on board the project about two years ago.
“For me it’s an absolute thrill to be the mayor of the day and to do this,” he said.
“It’s great for our city.”
