Peter Corlett
Encyclopedia
Peter Corlett is an Australia
n sculptor, known for his full-figure sculptures cast in bronze
, especially his memorial
works.
Corlett studied sculpture at RMIT University
, Melbourne, from 1961 to 1964. In 1975, he was awarded a special projects grant from the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council
. Between 1977 and 1980, he was artist in residence at Exeter University and Exeter College of Art in the United Kingdom
.
, a stretcher bearer
during the Gallipoli Campaign
in World War I
. The result was a full size bronze sculpture, Simpson and his donkey, 1915, that now stands outside the Australian War Memorial
in Canberra
.
Cobbers is a full-size bronze sculpture created in 1998 for the V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial
, near Fromelles
in northern France
. It depicts Sergeant Simon Fraser, a stretcher bearer with the 57th Battalion, rescuing a wounded compatriot from no man's land
after the Battle of Fromelles
(1916). The title comes from a letter that Fraser, a farmer from Byaduk, Victoria
, wrote a few days after the battle and that was widely quoted in Australia's official history of World War I. In it, Fraser describes how one wounded soldier shouted out "Don't forget me, cobber." as he was helping another: Fraser went to get more stretcher bearers and both wounded soldiers were rescued. A replica of the sculpture is in the Shrine of Remembrance
in Melbourne.
Corlett's other memorial works include:
, Kylie Minogue
and Dame Nellie Melba
. Several of these can be seen at Waterfront City in the Melbourne Docklands.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n sculptor, known for his full-figure sculptures cast in bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
, especially his memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
works.
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
, Melbourne, from 1961 to 1964. In 1975, he was awarded a special projects grant from the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council
Australia Council
The Australia Council, informally known as the Australia Council for the Arts, is the official arts council or arts funding body of the Government of Australia.-Function:...
. Between 1977 and 1980, he was artist in residence at Exeter University and Exeter College of Art in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Memorial works
In 1987, Corlett won a competition to create a memorial "to commemorate the courage and compassion" of John Simpson KirkpatrickJohn Simpson Kirkpatrick
John 'Jack' Simpson Kirkpatrick , who served under the name John Simpson, was a stretcher bearer with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I...
, a stretcher bearer
Combat medic
Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
during the Gallipoli Campaign
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The result was a full size bronze sculpture, Simpson and his donkey, 1915, that now stands outside the Australian War Memorial
Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.
Cobbers is a full-size bronze sculpture created in 1998 for the V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial
V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial
The V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial is a World War I memorial located in the commune of Fromelles, in the Nord departement of France, about 2 kilometres northwest of the village of Fromelles on the D22C road .-Battle of Fromelles:The Battle of Fromelles in July 1916 is...
, near Fromelles
Fromelles
-References:* -External links:*** video report from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission*...
in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It depicts Sergeant Simon Fraser, a stretcher bearer with the 57th Battalion, rescuing a wounded compatriot from no man's land
No man's land
No man's land is a term for land that is unoccupied or is under dispute between parties that leave it unoccupied due to fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dumping ground for refuse between fiefdoms...
after the Battle of Fromelles
Battle of Fromelles
The Battle of Fromelles, sometimes known as the Action at Fromelles or the Battle of Fleurbaix , occurred in France between 19 July and 20 July 1916, during World War I...
(1916). The title comes from a letter that Fraser, a farmer from Byaduk, Victoria
Byaduk, Victoria
Byaduk is a township in the Shire of Southern Grampians in the Western District of Victoria, Australia.European settlement began around 1853 by Wendish or SorbianLutheran immigrants who gave it the name Neukirch after the town in Saxony....
, wrote a few days after the battle and that was widely quoted in Australia's official history of World War I. In it, Fraser describes how one wounded soldier shouted out "Don't forget me, cobber." as he was helping another: Fraser went to get more stretcher bearers and both wounded soldiers were rescued. A replica of the sculpture is in the Shrine of Remembrance
Shrine of Remembrance
The Shrine of Remembrance, located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia was built as a memorial to the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I and is now a memorial to all Australians who have served in war...
in Melbourne.
Corlett's other memorial works include:
- The Bullecourt Digger
- Memorial to the Australian Light Horse
- The man in the mud
- Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop
- They also served, (Two WRANS 1941–1985)
Other works
Corlett has also created several sculptures of famous people associated with his native Melbourne, such as John FarnhamJohn Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
and Dame Nellie Melba
Nellie Melba
Dame Nellie Melba GBE , born Helen "Nellie" Porter Mitchell, was an Australian operatic soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian Era and the early 20th century...
. Several of these can be seen at Waterfront City in the Melbourne Docklands.