Please note: our General Meeting for April is being held on 9th April, which is one week earlier than usual, so that it doesn't coincide with Easter Saturday.
Guest Speaker:
John Ramsland, OAM, FACE
Join us in Gordon Library Meeting Room 1, at 2 pm on Saturday 9th April 2022, when John Ramsland presents “Exciting, Adventurous and Heart-Rending – Rayner Hoff’s Memorial Masterpieces as a Sculptor”
Our guest speaker will be John Ramsland, OAM, FACE, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Newcastle.
As one of the most significant artists in early post-World War I Australia, Hoff translated his sculptural forms into the egalitarian values of Australians – as a neo-heroic race that rivalled the Ancient Greeks!
Authorities agree that Hoff’s innovative work on the Hyde Park Anzac Memorial was his crowning glory. He captured war’s grim, gritty reality in a vast complex visual essay on the entire war. His group sculpture, 'Sacrifice', at the Memorial’s heart, is the greatest achievement of his entire career.
Hoff was one of the rare memorial sculptors to convey a duality of meaning of the relationship of male-female; masculine-feminine; timelessness and modern-ancient; sacred-profane; and past-present-future elements. He expressed both the sacrifice and horror of war on the youthful manhood and womanhood of the nation.
About John Ramsland
John was born in Manly in 1942 and educated at Manly Boys High School, Bathurst Teachers College, and the Universities of New England, Sydney and Newcastle. He is the author of many historical books, book chapters, journal articles, conference papers and press features. In 2003, he became Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Newcastle after serving there as Dean of the Faculty of Education, and later, Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
Book Launch
Immediately following John Ramsland’s presentation, military historian and battlefield war guide, David Wilson, will launch John’s latest book, 'Rendezvous With Death – Anzac Stories of the Great War' (Brolga, 2021) on behalf of Ku-ring-gai Historical Society.
Rendezvous With Death has been described as “an elegantly crafted anthology of epic heroism”. The book’s 564 pages hold many moving stories of men and women caught up in the tragedy of World War I. Each chapter deals with the life of historical figures – known and unknown, celebrated or forgotten – with the final chapter, “Remembrance of Things Past”, being on the life and work of George Rayner Hoff.
Copies will be available for signing at the special price of $20 – cash only, please, as we do not have credit card facilities.
As always, please keep an eye on our website in case of any last-minute changes.
The venue is Gordon Library Meeting Room No. 1, in the Old Gordon Public School, which adjoins the Gordon Library, 799 Pacific Highway, Gordon (corner Pacific Highway and Park Avenue).
It’s just a 5-minute walk from Gordon Station.
For a map and parking information, see our Contact page.
