AFTER more than 20 years of working towards the dedication of a Boer War memorial in Canberra, Colonel John Haynes is relieved and very happy the day is finally about to come.
Members of the National Boer War Association will be on hand for the official dedication of the new memorial on Anzac Parade at 11am on May 31.
Colonel Haynes said volunteers had raised $4 million for the memorial, which depicts four troopers mounted on horseback.
He said the fundraising target would not have been reached without the philanthropic efforts of business leader Michael Crouch, who donated generously and also arranged donations from friends in the business community.
The association then ran an international competition to choose a design for the memorial, but none of the 90 entries were deemed suitable and the association chose its own design.
Colonel Haynes, whose uncle, trooper Malcolm Haynes, served for a year during the conflict, said he felt satisfied after what had been a long campaign for the memorial’s installation.
“It’s a wonderful feeling,” he said. “I’ll be very relieved to see it happen and hopefully now I’ll be able to play a bit more golf.”
He also thanked the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Association, which provided administrative and moral support as well as helping with advertising.
