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SYDNEY - More than 10 years after it opened, Sydney's Anzac Bridge will finally be graced by a New Zealand soldier.
Prime Minister Helen Clark and New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma today announced a statue of a New Zealand World War 1 soldier will stand alongside the existing 4m bronze statue of an Australian digger from next year.
"We're making that good, putting the NZ back into Anzac and ensuring our mates across the Tasman are very much part of Anzac celebration and commemoration," Mr Iemma said.
The project was jointly funded by New Zealand's Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage and the NSW Government. It will be unveiled just before Anzac Day next year.
New Zealand's role at Gallipoli in WW1 and its presence alongside Australian forces ever since has taken some time to be formally acknowledged.
At this year's Anzac Day dawn service in Sydney, it was just the second time the New Zealand national anthem had been sung and its flag flown alongside Australia's.
Today on a chilly morning, in keeping with the purpose of Miss Clark's Australian visit to promote closer trans-Tasman trade, both anthems were sung at the Cenotaph in Martin Place and the flags raised alongside each other. Miss Clark and Mr Iemma both laid wreaths at the memorial.
The only minor hiccup came when a passerby yelled "bring our boys home", in reference to Australia's troops in Iraq.
Asked why it had taken so long for acknowledgement of New Zealand's role in Anzac efforts overseas, Mr Iemma hesitated and Miss Clark chimed in.
"One thing at a time, our sculptor can only do one soldier at a time."
Miss Clark said the idea of having a New Zealand soldier on the commemorative bridge, which opened in 1995 at a cost of A$170 million ($191.48 million), occurred to her on a drive across the bridge two years ago.
The idea was pushed by the New South Wales Returned Services League (NSWRSL) and supported by Mr Iemma's government.
"This has come at just the right time in memorialising the friendship between New Zealand and Australia and I'm thrilled we're able to precede with it," Miss Clark said.
"As the Premier said, we have to make sure the NZ stays in Anzac. It wouldn't be much of an acronym without the NZ."
The New Zealand soldier will be distinguished from the Australian by the distinctive lemon squeezer hat.
Miss Clark said the statue, which will be sculpted by dual citizen Alan Somerville, was another on the growing list of memorial projects around the world to ensure New Zealand's contribution wasn't forgotten.
That included the New Zealand memorial in Canberra, unveiled in 2001, the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Wellington (2004), the United Nations War Cemetery Memorial in Pusan (2005) and the London memorial to New Zealand last year.
The Australian Federal Government announced as part of last month's budget it would also fund an Australian memorial in Wellington.
- NZPA
