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| Bronze statue of Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop |
Determination can be seen in the look on a face, in the tone of a voice or in a person’s actions.
Sometimes it can lead to people doing extraordinary things.
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop was one of those people.
Sir Dunlop joined the Australian Army Medical Corps during World War II and was in charge of the No.1 Allied General Hospital in Bandung, Java, when the city fell to the Japanese in 1942. He and the members of his medical unit were taken as prisoners of war and were eventually brought to Thailand to help build the Thai-Burma railway.
As one of the war crimes committed by the Japanese during the war, the prisoners working on the railway were treated appallingly. They were malnourished, severely beaten by their captors and given no medical attention despite the tropical diseases that were rife in the camps. Many died during the construction of the railway.
Amongst all this horror, Sir Dunlop was a true inspiration, with a determination to survive and help those around him. He stood up to the Japanese at great personal risk and did all he could to save sick, wounded and starving prisoners. Australian prisoners of war had a high survival rate compared to prisoners from other countries, with Sir Dunlop’s efforts, along with a number of Commonwealth Medical Officers, credit for this.
Not only that, Sir Dunlop was able to forgive his brutal captors when he return to Australia at the end of the war. He devoted himself to caring for and lobbying on behalf of former prisoners of war and their families. He also worked to improve relations between Australia and Asia.
Most deservedly, Sir Dunlop received honours from Australia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom in recognition of his numerous achievements. He sadly passed away in 1993 at the age of 86.
A bronze statue of Sir Dunlop stands along St Kilda Road in the Botanical Gardens. It is a constant reminder of a great man with great Australian spirit.
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