Published on Friday, 19 November 2021 at 9:48:00 AM
The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder have begun site preparations on St Barbara Square, as part of the Kal City Centre Project this week.
In consultation with the Saint Barbara Committee and Museum of the Goldfields staff, the statue of Saint Barbara will be removed on Wednesday, 17 November 2021 from its current location for minor repairs.
On Monday, 29 November 2021, the statue will be temporarily relocated to the Museum of the Goldfields beside the Eastern Goldfields Miners Memorial wall.
Saint Barbara will remain there for the next 18 months whilst construction in the Square takes place. The statue will be securely locked at the Museum with high security alert systems in place.
Acting CEO Alex Wiese said he is delighted the Museum of the Goldfields agreed to house the special monument.
“Being such an important landmark for the City Centre, it was imperative that we found a suitable temporary placement for the statue ahead of the upgrades to St Barbara Square” he said.
“We look forward to bringing the statue back to the St Barbara Square once construction is completed.”
The plaques surrounding the current statue and the sunken time capsule will be securely stored by the City and re-worked into the new design. Upon completion of construction the statue will be relocated back to St Barbara Square in a new position.
Additional Information
- Saint Barbara, Patron Saint of Miners, is a significant symbol in the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, representing the great partnership between the mining industry and the local community of this historic gold rush town.
- The monument was incorporated into the design of the St Barbara Mall, named by former Mayor Ray Finlayson in 1983, to commemorate the century of mining on the Goldfields and honour the lives lost in the process.
- The Saint Barbara statue, sculpted by local artist Nana (Ute) Lye, was unveiled and presented to then Mayor Paul Robson on Barbara’s Feast Day December 4, 1999 by Richard Scallan and the Eastern Regional Council of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy.
- The occasion was marked by a blessing from Father Steve Durkin, the production of 500 commemorative gold coins by local jeweler Tony Smales and the sinking of a time capsule to be opened December 4, 2099.
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