Peace Cake Sculpture
The Story Behind This Sculpture
The original cake was specially made for the Mayoral Victory Ball held at Maryborough’s Town Hall to celebrate the end of the First World War. The original photograph was taken from SLQ’s collection of the night on April 29, 1919 in Maryborough. The night’s program featured dancing, music provided by a ‘Naval Band’ and a 30 foot model airship suspended from the ceiling. The main attraction however was the ‘Peace Cake’. The Maryborough Chronicle reported its intricate details: “Messrs Stellmach and Sons, the well-known bakers, were commissioned on short notice to prepare a cakeworthy of the occasion, and in fulfilling the order have combined skill and ingenuity, and marked artistic taste, with most pleasing results. The cake stands about 5 feet high (1.5 metres), is approximately 24 inches in diameter (61cms), and weight from three-quarters to one hundredweight (38 to 51kgs).”
About the Artists
The principal sculptor Ms Elizabeth Hersey together with colleague Marni Koster completed the replica cake with the help of local cake decorators and sculptors. Every piece has been painstakingly made by hand, right down to each piping replica. Elizabeth conducted extensive research on the original cake to ensure each embellishment and element is historically correct.
Elizabeth specialises in detailed bronze wildlife sculptures, cast in small limited editions.
Marni creates free form and abstract sculptures and has exhibited locally.
Contributors to this Sculpture
The Maryborough Mural Project relies entirely on the generosity of volunteers and sponsors from our local community. The artist’s commission was sponsored by Mayor Chris Loft’s Discretionary Funds. The Committee would like to thank Mrs Jan Carlson, Mrs Tracey Christoffel, Mr Mal Finlayson, Ms Tracey Gray, Ms Bronwyn Mendoza, Mrs Dawn Vanderwolf, Mr Rai Whitten and Mr Mark Williams for their time and expertise in coordinating this sculpture. We would also like to thank Fraser Coast Lace Makers, Mr John Franklin, Ms Jo Miller, Mr Trevor Spohr, Gatakers Artspace, Mayor Chris Loft and the following businesses for their kind and generous sponsorship of this sculpture:
As a part of this project, day-long workshops were held where cake decorators from the community assisted in
making some of the embellishments for the Peace Cake.
The committee would like to thank the following ladies for their contribution:
Gay Lynch
Vera Hammond
Lynn Harris
Rebecca Pezzutt
Tammy Martin
Bev Hibbert
Gwen Sypher
Kahla Handley
Maria Turmine
Rosslyn Charteris
Toni Case
Connie Powderham
Jan Withers
Kay King
Mary Rooms
Shae Williams
Johanna Arnold-Stevens
Donna Window
Jo-Anne Farrell
Khalia Williams
Pat Garvin
Simon Haupt
Our featured sponsor is Earles Paint Place, Maryborough who have generously supported the Maryborough Mural Project since it’s inception and who have provided most of the paint and paint supplies needed to complete our murals. Without their generous and passionate support of the Project we would not have been able to achieve what we have to date. Earles continue to support and sponsor the project as a major contributor in helping to revitalise Maryborough through Art.