The City of Fremantle is carrying out specialist repairs to the North Fremantle War Memorial after the marble soldier's rifle was damaged.
The memorial, which features a marble statue of a soldier standing on a granite plinth, is an important local landmark honouring those who served.
Following the discovery of the damage in December 2024, the City commissioned a public art and monument specialist conservator to investigate repair options and recommend the best conservation approach.
After detailed assessment, the chosen method involves creating a replica of the rifle using a durable material called marble-based Jesmonite.
This modern composite combines stone powder with resin to closely replicate the look and feel of marble while offering greater strength and resistance to weather.
The new rifle will be digitally modelled using 3D scans of the existing broken fragments, the Bunbury War Memorial's rifle, and reference images of historic rifles.
A mould will then be created, and the final piece cast, trimmed, and fixed to the statue using non-corrosive fibreglass supports and epoxy resin tinted with marble dust for a seamless finish.
This approach is in accordance with good conservation practice and has been approved by the Heritage Council of WA.
The conservator will also clean the statue to remove algal growth and carry out minor maintenance to the memorial including paint touch ups.
All original rifle fragments will be catalogued and stored within the City's collection for future reference.
The City appreciates the community's patience while this important restoration work is carried out and looks forward to sharing progress updates as the project continues.
