One of the Australian War Memorial's most beloved sculptures has reclaimed pride of place at the new Main Entrance having been carefully craned into position on Friday morning.
Cast in bronze and standing 2.35m tall, 'Simpson and his donkey, 1915', by Peter Corlett has been a crowd favourite since it was unveiled at the Memorial in 1988.
"Simpson and his Donkey was the first statue to honour an individual on the grounds of the Australian War Memorial. One man's courage, tenacity and selflessness became one of the more iconic stories to emerge from the Gallipoli campaign," Matt Anderson PSM, Director of the Australian War Memorial said.
"Unarmed, Private Simpson used a number of small donkeys to carry men down from the front line - leaving himself exposed to snipers and artillery fire.
"This iconic sculpture will be remembered fondly by many visitors. For decades it was a popular meeting place for Memorial visitors and we're thrilled to be able to install it in its new home."
The sculpture depicts the bravery of 22-year-old, English-born and Australian enlisted, John Simpson Kirkpatrick.
Although Simpson carried no arms and remains an enigmatic figure, the nature of his sacrifice has made a vital contribution to the story of ANZAC.
Private Simpson arrived at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915 and was killed less than four weeks later.
Australian War Memorial's Head of Art, Laura Webster said: "The sculpture will return to ground level and not placed on a plinth so it is at an approachable and accessible level for our visitors.
"Peter Corlett's intention was for the sculpture to be a national icon of compassion, courage and humility.
"It speaks to our common humanity and how we have the capacity as ordinary people to do extraordinary things in challenging times."
