MARGARET HADFIELD-ZORGDRAGER
Weary
Oil on Canvas
56 x 200cm
When I came across an old medical stretcher it made me consider what or who could work meaningfully on such an item. Sir Ernest Edward Dunlop AC,CMG,OBE (1907-1993) is such a legend in Australian military history that it seemed right to pay homage to him on this unique ‘canvas’.
A courageous leader and compassionate doctor he restored morale in the horror prison camps and jungle hospitals of Changi and Burma-Thai Railway (WW2). He defied his captors and had ingenious improvisations and extraordinary surgical feats to help men in the most dreadful conditions as prisoners of war. He received a huge list of awards, including Australian of the Year.
Weary epitomized the self-sacrifice and bravery that were the hallmarks of the Anzac legend.
