Brisbane monument for Indian soldiers A REVELATION OF THE TRUTH BIANCA ARCHER

Ifirst became aware of Indian-origin Australians who served in our wars, about a year and a half ago as a first year student of architecture.

This part of our history was introduced to us in the form of an assignment/competition: we had to design a war memorial to honour the Indian participation in the World Wars, especially alongside our own forces, as well as Indianorigin Australian soldiers.

The history of it all, buried so far, has come to light only recently, and we were left to do our own research.

It turned out to be quite an emotional experience for me. As I delved deeper into the context, I gained a sense of realisation regarding our history as Australians, but also regarding the wider meaning of war itself.

I imagined to myself what it must have been like to be forced to fight a war they had nothing to do with, and to represent a country which was not their own. Many words came to mind: honour, loyalty, bravery, commitment, heroism.

But then to have to comprehend the truth behind the matter - the fact that their sacrifice and contribution was - and still islargely unrecognised, made me feel a sense of sadness, betrayal, anger and disbelief. I wanted to express this in built form because I wanted other people to feel it too.

Visiting the Sunnybank RSL premises where the monument would sit, the design concept began to take shape in my mind.

The concept I came up with involved a missing piece, as well as a revelation of the truth.

The design features a large sphere representing our earth and the unification of humanity. The weight of the monument embodies the heavy death toll of the wars, and the sadness that I felt and want others to feel. I want viewers to touch and feel the coldness of it all.

The missing piece of the sphere is intentional, as it symbolises the missing piece of history in which the story of the Indian soldiers was previously omitted. By “unearthing” this piece of history, we are able to able to reconstruct these stories as we commemorate, honour and preserve them in loving memory.

The major element in the design, is the hundred-year-old artillery case, which is fashioned into “trench art”, piercing through the centre of the sphere as it gently touches its core - creating a water ripple effect within its reflective surface.

The cracks upon the surface, were originally intended to allow light to come through from within somehow, to represent the story coming to light. But upon deliberation with the Indian architect who helped construct, it was decided to leave the cracks in gold.

To conclude, the internal portion of this monument represents “reflection”, of both sacrifice and healing, while serving as a tangible link between past, present and future. By changing the way in which we orientate ourselves when viewing this design, we ultimately influence our ability to change the way in which we perceive war.

As my first real-life project, it gives me a thrill to see it listed on www. monumentaustralia.org.au I’ve never designed a memorial before - it’s usually houses!

I’m a spiritual person, passionate about holistic health and wellness and want to incorporate that with architecture.

I can see now that the memorial means so much to the community. It has been inspiring to be part of this entire endeavour.

On Remembrance Day 11 Nov this year, a monument was unveiled at Sunnybank RSL Brisbane to commemorate Indian participation in Australia’s war efforts. Griffith University architecture student BIANCA ARCHER won a competition to design the memorial. The two-year project was initiated by Brisbane’s Indian community led by SURENDRA PRASAD OAM.