Mr Findlay is combining his fine art education, landscape construction experience and community spirit to build life-size sculptures of navy, army and air force personnel which will be installed at the Shoalhaven Heads Memorial Park.

Mr Findlay said he had been thinking of the sculpture for many years but this year the timing was right and happened to line up with the centenary.

“I approached the Shoalhaven Heads RSL sub-branch and told them this was something I wanted to do,” he said.

“I was originally going to do three soldiers but president Max Flohr suggested the three statues should represent the three arms of Defence.

“This is what I love to do and it’s something I can do. It’s nice to give something like this to the community, particularly this year,” Mr Findlay said.

The statues will be solid, reinforced concrete treated to look aged.

“These statues will look 100 years old by the time I’ve finished them,” Mr Findlay said.

“The three will stand together in a fairly casual pose. It will be a scene that I’m hoping will express some emotion.”

Mr Findlay, who refined the images in his mind through research at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, said the sculptures would represent World War I figures with high levels of detail on some parts of the uniforms. 

southcoastregister.com.au