John Kendrick Blogg (1851-1936)
The honour roll was designed, executed and donated by John Kendrick Blogg. His fine wood carvings on the honour roll include a boomerang (signifying return), the Rising Sun military badge of the Australian Imperial Force, columns, sprays of wattle blossom and gum leaves. He also wrote the verse inscribed on the honour roll: Nerved by the Magic of the Trump of War Though all their lives had been to peace confess'd They blazed a glory-track through practised foe And gained the laurels of a wondering world Their Sire upraised their heads in lofty pride Their gentle Mothers, loving, bravely stemmed The swelling tide of grief, while exaltation Sprang in joy to know their sons were men Blogg was born in Canada. He migrated to Victoria in 1877 and established a successful industrial chemistry business. Although this was located in South Melbourne and later central Melbourne, Blogg and his family lived at Balmoral, Surrey Hills. In 1893 after the death of his first wife Annie, he took up woodcarving as a hobby. He became an excellent craftsman, creating hundreds of gifts and commissioned works. He also wrote poetry and composed a war anthem The Heroes of Anzac. Blogg’s story is told in Marjorie Morgan’s book Legacy in Sculptured Wood: An Appreciation of the Work of John Kendrick Blogg, 1851-1936. His son John Campbell Blogg served in WW1 and his name appears on the honour roll. The Shrine is one of his finest works; other public pieces are found in some of the churches of Canterbury, Box Hill and Surrey Hills. |