Robert Burns In Sydney

[Abax]

I found this statue of Robert Burns in Hyde Park in downtown Sydney, NSW. Anyone know what his connection to this area would be? I couldn't find anything in the biographies I read linking him to Australia.



The inscription on the base says BURNS 1759 - 1796.

Abax

[macwilkin]

I found this statue of Robert Burns in Hyde Park in downtown Sydney, NSW. Anyone know what his connection to this area would be? I couldn't find anything in the biographies I read linking him to Australia.



The inscription on the base says BURNS 1759 - 1796.

Abax

You'll find statues of Burns in many places accross the globe where Scots expats reside; most likely it was put up by a local Burns Club, Caledonian/St. Andrew's Society, etc. in tribute to the Bard. For example, there are statues of Burns accross the US (St. Louis is the closest to me), Canada, New Zealand and of course, Scotland.

Noted Burnsian Hugh Dogulas once remarked that a copy of Burns was one of the few things that Scots immigrants could take with them to other climes, and that Burns became their link to home.

Regards,

Todd

[Pour1Malt]

nay idea...

interestin' though...

must bae Dumfries & Galloway arr Ayrshire Scots moved tae that area....

[macwilkin]

nay idea...

interestin' though...

must bae Dumfries & Galloway arr Ayrshire Scots moved tae that area....

See my post above.

Interestingly, on the Royal Caledonian Society of Melbourne, there is mention of a gift of a Burns statue to the City of Melbourne in January, 1905. I would imagine this is how the Sydney Burns statue was erected as well.

Regards,

Todd

[BEEDEE]

The statue was funded by The Highland Society of N.S.W., which arose in 1877 from the amalgamation of a Caledonian Society and a St. Andrew's Scottish Benevolent Society. Electric Scotland has more in its page on the Royal Caledonian Society of Melbourne and the history of Scots in Australia. see: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...elbourne16.htm

Brian

[macwilkin]

The statue was funded by The Highland Society of N.S.W., which arose in 1877 from the amalgamation of a Caledonian Society and a St. Andrew's Scottish Benevolent Society. Electric Scotland has more in its page on the Royal Caledonian Society of Melbourne and the history of Scots in Australia. see: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...elbourne16.htm

Brian

Good on ya, Brian! Thanks for that!

Cheers,

Todd

[auld argonian]

Here's a quick link to a photo of the Burns statue in Garfield Park in Chicago:

http://138.23.124.164/images/kmast2/...ls/ku92274.jpg

I think that it's one side of a stereograph and was probably taken some time ago...the statue is listed as having been dedicated in 1909. Interesting to see the different "takes" on the romantic image of the Poet. Love the hat on the Sydney statue...must have warned him about the sun.

Best

AA

[macwilkin]

Following AA's example, here is some information about the Burns Statue in St. Louis, just to the West of Forest Park on the Washington University grounds:

http://www.art-stl.com/PublicArtDetail.cfm?PID=11

Not the best photo in the world, but it gets the job done...I like the fact that Sydney's statue has Burns beside a plough, in tribute to "the ploughman-lad borth 'neath a roof o' strae..."

Cheers,

Todd

[Abax]

The statue was funded by The Highland Society of N.S.W

Thanks for the answer The web site you referenced had an impressive list of Scots in Australia!

Abax

[Mike1]

Abax, you will find there are impressive lists of Scots in all four corners of the world.

A fact that is often missed by our homeland cousins is there are approximately 6,000,000 Scots residing in Alba, while there are 40,000,000-plus children of the Scots diaspora residing outwith Scotland. And as mentioned a time or two on this forum, many of the old Scots customs are remembered more and practiced more outwith Scotland than within, as those customs from home were all our families had left to embrace.