Group Settlers Horse & Carriage Sculpture
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Unknown
Asset Type: Sculpture, Metalwork
Year of Work: Unknown
Location: Pioneer Park
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: The Group Settlers’ story is one of extraordinary hard work and hardship.
In the years following World War I, Western Australia’s population centred largely around Perth and the Goldfields, and the state was in dire need of farmers. Meanwhile in England, post-war unemployment was sky high.
The two governments created the Group Settlement Scheme – a promise of farmland and opportunity in sunny Western Australia.
Nearly 6000 Brits arrived, full of hope but few with farming experience. Their task was to clear forests, fence off farms and build homes on their allotted plots. It was backbreaking work, and women toiled just as hard as the men.
A decade later and nearly half the settlers had abandoned their blocks, starving and in poverty.
This artwork commemorates the Group Settlers, their hardships and heartbreak.
