EXCLUSIVE
A furious slanging match has erupted over a portrait of Australia’s most decorated war hero amid accusations it was removed from a city council meeting room following a complaint it was offensive.
The painting of Sir Thomas Blamey, who served in the First and Second World Wars and is credited with saving Australia from almost certain invasion, had hung in pride of place at Wagga Wagga’s council chambers for almost a quarter of a century.
However, local MP and one-time deputy prime minister Michael McCormack said he was ‘absolutely flabbergasted’ to learn it was taken down in August after one of the city’s councillors allegedly complained about its presence.
The former Minister for Veterans’ Affairs has now accused the council of being ‘gutless’ and bowing to ‘token wokism’ after agreeing to move the offending painting.
‘Our city is a proud military city – it’s the only inland regional centre with all three arms of the Australia Defence Force present,’ Mr McCormack told Daily Mail Australia.
‘But an unnamed Wagga City councillor apparently took offence at Thomas Blamey’s picture in the main council meeting room, asked for it to be taken down and, shamefully, this was done.
‘To think an elected representative would object to one of our greatest soldiers is nothing short of an insult.
The portrait of Sir Thomas Blamey held pride of place in Wagga Wagga’s council meeting room for almost a quarter of a century before it was quietly moved to another building in August
Sir Thomas Blamey’s leadership is credited with helping prevent an almost certain invasion of Australia at the height of the Second World War
‘Why? What possible reason could there be to have Blamey’s portrait removed and placed in a broom closet?
‘I have always been supportive of our council and its officials … but I’m not prepared to accept a war hero being treated like that, and the council try to rewrite history 70 years after his death.
‘It is an affront to Blamey, to every single person wearing a uniform in the ADF today (especially at our own Army base), to every veteran, to our garrison city and, quite frankly, to our intelligence.
‘It seems these days it is somehow acceptable for a shopkeeper to display offensive words and anti-Semitic material in a Fitzmaurice Street business window, yet not right for a homegrown war hero’s picture to be displayed in our local council chambers.
‘This is not how Wagga Wagga should be.’
Sir Thomas was born in Lake Albert, in Wagga’s south-east, in 1884. He was the seventh of 10 children to an immigrant father and Australian-born mother.
He enlisted in the Australian Army as a regular soldier in 1906, before rising through the ranks and serving as a general in both World Wars, ultimately becoming the only Australian to ever attain the rank of Field Marshal.
Sir Thomas Blamey (pictured) served in the Australian Army in both World Wars and is the only Australia to attain the rank of Field Marshal
Between the wars he served as the chief commissioner of Victoria’s police force for more than a decade despite a scandal erupting little more than a month into his reign when his police badge was found during a raid on a Fitzroy brothel.
He later explained he had given his keys and badge to a friend who had served alongside him at France so he could help himself to some alcohol in his locker at the city’s Naval and Military club.
His official biography on the Australian War Memorial website notes that for all Sir Thomas’s military accomplishments ‘on a personal level, Blamey’s public drinking and womanising harmed his reputation’.
His enduring legacy has been honoured with streets and parks named after of him throughout the country.
A statue of Sir Thomas stands in Melbourne’s Kings Domain while the plaza outside the Department of Defence in Canberra is named in his honour, as is Blamey Barracks at the national Army Recruit Training Centre at Kapooka in Wagga.
The contentious portrait of Sir Thomas was gifted to the City of Wagga Wagga by the commandant and all ranks of Blamey Barracks on May 26, 2001, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death.
‘Was he perfect? No,’ Mr McCormack said. ‘But who is? Wagga Wagga should be forever proud of this man who is one of our very own.
‘Our country would be a very different place without him and his leadership – he led Australia during both World Wars and we should be forever grateful his leadership helped prevent a possible Japanese invasion.
Former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack has savaged the council for bowing to ‘token wokism’ by shifting the portrait and wants it rehung in the chambers
‘When at times all seemed lost and there were well-founded fears Australia would be taken over, Blamey stood tall.
‘The Home of the Soldier, 1st Recruit Training Battalion at Kapooka, is appropriately named Blamey Barracks in his honour.
‘He has a local hotel and a suburban street in Turvey Park named after him.
‘But for all of those deserving accolades, he has now become the latest to fall victim to the wokeness permeating society.
‘Cancel culture has caught up with this hero.’
Mr McCormack said he wanted the portrait to be immediately rehung in the council chambers and for the councillor who complained about it to issue a public apology.
‘What an insult now to Blamey’s memory and to what Kapooka does for our city to have this gutless act carried out in the building there to serve the people of this military city,’ he said.
‘The unnamed councillor who complained would not be the type to place their head above the parapet and defend our nation against our enemies.
Sir Thomas has been honoured with a statue in the Kings Domain in Melbourne
‘Thomas Blamey’s portrait should be returned to its rightful place in the chambers – today.
‘And the councillor who raised their objection should issue an immediate apology … and then go and do what they were elected to do and fix a few potholes instead of trying to rewrite history.’
That appears unlikely to happen. The council fired back at Mr McCormack when approached for comment by Daily Mail Australia on Monday.
Wagga Wagga City Council General Manager Peter Thompson insisted the portrait had simply been shifted to a different building where it could be seen by more of the community.
‘Wagga Wagga City Council takes enormous pride in its relationship with the Australian Defence Force over the past 100-plus years,’ he said in a statement.
‘The Member for Riverina, the Hon. Michael McCormack MP, has used the media to criticise the Council however the substance of his commentary regarding the portrait of Sir Thomas Blamey is misleading and untrue.
‘The portrait of Sir Thomas Blamey has never been placed into storage.
‘In August this year the portrait was placed on exhibition in a different location which is consistent with the routine rotation of many of our artworks.
‘The portrait hangs proudly in our much-loved Museum of the Riverina Historic Council Chambers site, scarcely more than 40m from its previous location in the council meeting room, which is not open to the public unless a meeting is taking place.
‘The portrait enjoys pride of place in a public museum which is free for all to attend.’
The ‘Home of the Soldier’, the Army Recruit Training Centre at Kapooka, in Sir Thomas’s hometown of Wagga Wagga, are named in his honour
The council did not comment on the allegation that the portrait had been shifted as a result of a complaint from one of the city’s councillors.
Mr McCormack refused to accept the portrait was moved as part of a ‘routine rotation policy’.
‘Sir Thomas Blamey’s portrait has hung in the council meeting room for 23 years, ever since it was gifted to the city, so to take it down after 23 years for the first time is not a routine rotation,’ he said.
‘They’re scrambling to come up with an excuse because they know was they’ve done is a disgrace and that it is wrong.’
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