The Park of the Australian Soldier
The Park of the Australian Soldier is located in Beersheva, Israel.
It was created to commemorate the 1917 Australian and New Zealand Lighthorse Brigade's charge against the Turkish army at Beersheba during World War I.
It was an initiative of the Pratt Foundation of Australia.
The Pratt Foundation then CEO and veteran journalist Sam Lipski had a lifelong interest in the Australian Lighthorse and thought this incredible relationship between the two countries should be celebrated in a meaningful way.
The Park is a tribute to the Lighthorse, with a statue of an Australian soldier on his horse that captures the spirit of the time.
Melbourne sculptor Peter Corlett's Beersheba design includes a triangular-shaped pool overlaid by a triangular slab, to represent Israel's three main religions. The main sculpture is of a rider and his horse, cast in bronze, that have just leapt a pile of sandbags. The height of the rider on the horse is life-sized (2m). The plinth provides space for the ceremonial placing of wreaths and for national flags to be attached.
The Beersheba sculpture is in a new landscaped park for abled & disabled children: Park of the Australian Soldier. This project, initiated by Melbourne's Pratt Foundation and funded by the Beersheba Foundation, opened in April 2008 before Australia's Governor-General and Israel's President. Together they unveiled the monument to the Light Horse, attended by old soldiers and young army personnel.
