Two Statues, One Town, One Nation: Wedderburn to Canberra and Back

I left Mum's house in Wedderburn at 5:00 a.m., rolling south along High Street past Albert Jacka Park. In the pre-dawn gloom, the bronze statues of Captain Albert Jacka VC and Albert Chalmers Borella VC emerged from the darkness, standing watch as enduring reminders of service and sacrifice. 

The lights beneath their plaques cast long shadows across the park. For a moment, the statues seemed almost alive: bronze frozen in time yet appearing to be charging forward. The uplighting carved deep contrasts into the surrounding trees and the memorial shrine honouring those who served Australia in war. Light and shadow drifted across the landscape like reflections cast onto a wall from another room. I would encounter the same play of light and shadow again later at the Australian War Memorial. 
The park stands on the site of the former Korong Flour Mill, destroyed by fire in 1919. Today it is a place of remembrance, honouring Jacka, Borella and the many local servicemen and women whose names are recorded throughout the memorial grounds.

Past Ravenswood and Elmore, I joined the Hume Highway, cruise control set for the long haul, listening to Gus Gould and Willie Mason. NRL is a different sport from AFL, yet the same truths apply reach fifty games and two hundred becomes possible; statistics matter; experience endures — for a player - the new thirty is thirty-five.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped at roadside amenity, called Borella – the same Borella alongside Jacka only a few hours earlier in Wedderburn.

The following day, I visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Walking through the galleries, I turned a corner and stopped. There, together again, were the Victoria Cross displays of Jacka and Borella. The setting felt strangely familiar. As in Wedderburn before dawn, darkness framed the scene while light drew attention to what mattered — photographs, honour boards, brass, and memory. Different places, the same effect: remembrance illuminated against a darker backdrop.

I stepped back into the air and wandered Campbell by car. After taking a few wrong turns, I unexpectedly found Albert Jacka Street. Another connection. Another reminder.

I stayed in Manuka and, before long, found myself making the drive to Mum’s home.

Back in Wedderburn, I rolled north along High Street once more. There they were again — the same two bronze statues. A week earlier, they had marked the beginning of the journey. Now they marked its end. Along the way, the names of Albert Jacka VC and Albert Chalmers Borella VC had appeared at a roadside stop, inside the Australian War Memorial and on a Canberra street sign. What began as a local story in Wedderburn turned out to be part of a much larger national story.

Local memory, national history - Both men were awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for military gallantry. Yet Albert Jacka Park honours more than two decorated soldiers. The shrine records the names of local servicemen and women, including my grandfather, Pop Connie.

The former flour mill site now serves a different purpose. Where industry once stood, there is remembrance. The journey ended where it began —Wedderburn → Canberra → Wedderburn.

What stayed with me was not just the story of Jacka and Borella, but the many names remembered alongside them. From Wedderburn to Canberra and back again, their stories continue to link local memory with national history.

Seems some of our current needs are minor in comparison.

Albert Jacka Park, Wedderburn

Victoria Cross recipients Albert Jacka VC and Albert Borella VC at Soldiers Memorial Park.

Statues of Captain Albert Jacka VC, MC & Bar and Lieutenant Albert Chalmers Borella VC. Jacka grew up, attended school, and enlisted from Wedderburn, while Borella was born at nearby Borung. Both were awarded the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for military gallantry, and are commemorated in Wedderburn and at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. [medalbook.com], [timesnewsg...oup.com.au], [victorianp...ces.com.au].

Jacka and Borella immediately

• Albert Jacka VC (1893–1932): Raised in Wedderburn, Jacka became the first Australian awarded the Victoria Cross during the First World War. After the war, he entered business and public service, serving as Mayor of St Kilda from 1930 to 1931.
• Albert Chalmers Borella VC (1881–1968):  Born at Borung, near Wedderburn, Borella was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions near Villers-Bretonneux, France, in 1918. After the war, he continued his military service and later worked in public administration, becoming a respected civic and military figure.
• Victoria Cross (VC): The highest award for military gallantry, recognising exceptional bravery in the presence of the enemy. [timesnewsg...oup.com.au], [goldfields...ide.com.au]