Cobbers Monument

Adam G

The large bronze Cobbers sculpture which is located in the Shrine Reserve, is by renowned Melbourne sculptor Peter Corlett, and a memorial to Australian service and sacrifice on 19 July 1916 at the disastrous Battle of Fromelles on the Western Front in World War I. With over 5,500 Australian casualties, 500 prisoners of war and almost 2,000 dead it is regarded as the worst 24 hours in Australian military history. In that one night the Australian casualties were equivalent to those in the Boer, Korean and Vietnam Wars, combined. In the days following the battle, rescuers recovered some 300 wounded men from no-man’s-land. As one soldier carried a wounded companion from the field he heard a call for help: Don’t forget me, Cobber. The Cobbers sculpture immortalises in bronze, the courage, bravery and willingness of this Aussie soldier to risk his own life to carry his fallen cobber home (the Shrine). The Shrine of Remembrance and its gardens are a must-see landmark in Melbourne.

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