Victorian Women’s Public Art Program

It is a privilege and honour to be chosen to create this bronze artwork tribute to Dr Vera Scantlebury OBE and I am excited to be a founding contributor to raising the recognition and representation of women in public art across Victoria. My hope is that this project prompts greater public awareness and curiosity regarding the need for increased artistic acknowledgement of the founding women achievers in this State.

BRONZE SCULPTURE LOCATION
Linton Avenue of Honour, Denison St, Linton, 3360

Dr Vera Scantlebury Brown OBE was a renowned Australian medical practitioner in the field of pediatrics, who made her way overseas to serve on the front’ during World War One as 1 of 6 Australian female surgeons. She pioneered infant welfare in the state of Victoria and became the first woman appointed as the head of a state government department.

Picture taken at the Golden Plains Shire Council announcement of receiving the grant to participate in the Victorian Government’s Women’s Public Art Program.

Left to right: Cr Helena Kirby (Deputy Mayor), Dr Jill Wheeler (Labour Member) , Lucy McEachern (Sculptor), Dr Heather Sheard (wrote a PhD on Vera Scantlebury Brown OBE) and Michaela Settle (State Labor MP for Eureka).

Uniform Buttons

The buttons on the sculpture were scanned and printed directly from the ones on Vera’s WW1 Jacket. The original buttons were sourced from the Melbourne University archives.

The Sculpture in Progress