Statue to Anzac nurse Greta Towner unveiled at Blackall

In doing so, it becomes the second lifesize florentine bronze statue in the town's Memorial Park and Blackall becomes possibly the first place in Australia to have sculptures to both a brother and sister who served in World War I.

The community unveiled a statue to Victoria Cross recipient Edgar Towner on April 24, 2009, and the research undertaken at the time alerted locals to the service undertaken by younger sister Greta Norman Towner.

"I'm sure Edgar would be awfully proud of his younger sister," Blackall-Tambo mayor Andrew Martin said at Friday's unveiling, explaining that a decision by Queensland's Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman to allocate Gambling Community Benefit Fund grants to combat an over-representation of men in the state's memorials had facilitated the new statue.

"The first statue, of Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel, was erected at the Australian War Memorial in August - well done Blackall for following on so soon," he said.

Queensland Governor Jeannette Young, performing the opening with Greta's nephew John Towner, said it would stand as an enduring testimony.

"Like her brother, she served with distinction," she said. "Little was known of her until Avril Fazel and students of the Blackall State School went on a journey of discovery."

Dr Young described the finished product, crafted by sculptor Cam Crossley, as a story of community resolve and dedication to honour their people.

"Her effigy personifies the 3000 nurses who served in World War I," she said.

Nurses have been part of every conflict Australian soldiers have been involved in, from the Boer War in the 1890s onwards.

A valuable adjunct to the unveiling was the Blackall Historical Society display of 45 women from the small community who have served in various parts of the Australian Defence Force.

The plan is to digitise the information on a website and for an honour roll to be started.

A QR code has been embedded into the base of Greta's statue, from which viewers can learn the whole story of the project, at the instigation of sculptor Cam Crossley, who said he wanted to create "much more than a lump of bronze in a park", something that would speak to all.

Speaking at the dinner held following the unveiling, Mr Crossley said he'd wanted to depict Greta in her working uniform and in a dynamic mode, with a hand held out behind her inviting viewers to walk with her.

"Many have asked, why not put her on a plinth," he asked. "Edgar was the hero but Greta's unsung, she's one of us."

He spoke of the connection he felt with the nurse and her work easing the pain of injured soldiers, saying the time he spent time creating her eyes made him think of what she'd seen.

"She's come home, and she's yours," he said. "She's now a portal, living history."

Blackall RSL sub-branch president Terri-Ann Eden-Jones, also a nurse, said Sister Towner served in immensely difficult conditions during World War 1 on the Greek island of Lemnos, near Gallipoli, aboard hospital ships, and in France.

Commanding Officer 31/42 Battalion, the Royal Queensland Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Cameron McKay said a lot had changed since Sister Towner served her country.

"In today's Australian Defence Force, women work in more than 200 roles and receive the same training, salaries and opportunities as men, but, until the Second World War, were restricted to the Australian Army Nursing Service," he said.

"In the modern era, women have continued to forge outstanding Army careers and we hope this memorial will inspire the next generation."

Gregory MP Lachlan Millar said he'd seen a lot of statues but never one so beautiful.

"Blackall, you have proven you love what your history is about," he said. "Avril and the schoolchildren have created an opportunity for us to understand where we've come from."