CAREFULLY carved from solid rosewood is the very likeness of Ballarat’s sole Victoria Cross recipient William Dunstan.
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The small bust will take pride of place on display with his replica war medals at Canadian Lead Primary School which keeps alive the William Dunstan story. The Gallipoli solider is a past student of Golden Point State School, one of Canadian Lead’s heritage schools.
Sculptor Jon Leonard donated the William Dunstan piece from his collection of VC heroes. He gifted most pieces to the schools each hero attended as a child to inspire future generations to keep alive the Anzac spirit.
Canadian Lead named its second William Dunstan medallist, school captain Latoya Gadd, in an Anzac commemorative service and bust unveiling on Friday afternoon. The medal is awarded to a grade six student who has best embodied the Anzac spirit in their time at school.
Latoya was thrilled.
“I like helping people,” she said. “They don’t tell anyone before the service who wins and I really like surprises.”
Canadian Lead principal Darlene Cameron said Latoya has shown great kindness, patience in her learning, a positive attitude to school and had all the qualities to make a good leader.
Inaugural Dunstand Medal recipient Liam Ryan presented the medal. Liam is now a year seven captain at Mount Clear College.
Dunstan’s great-grandson Jack Dunstan unveiled the bust in the school’s Anzac garden. Mr Dunstan said William Dunstan did not speak a lot about his time in war to family, most they knew through history books, but he knew his great-grandfather would be “chuffed” by the tribute.
The sculpture donation came as a surprise for Ms Cameron and staff earlier in the year. Ms Cameron said it arrived with words from sculptor Jon Leonard hoping “the spirit this represents goes beyond any monetary value”.
She was certain it would.
William Dunstan was a corporal in the 7th Battalion in the Australian Imperial Force in WWI. He was awarded the VC for his actions on August 9, 1915, during the Battle of Lone Pine on Gallipoli. He was part of a small group to repeatedly repell Turkish forces and rebuild a sand-bag barricade on a newly captured trench.
Dunstan was blind for almost a year after Lone Pine. He later achieved the rank of lieutenant.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
