A report on the construction of the Effigy of Lundy the Traitor

The build up to this year's "Lundy’s Day" celebrations started early in the year for me, with construction of the Effigy of Lundy beginning just after Easter. It takes about 3 months to build the effigy. For the last three years we have built it in time for the Maiden City Festival, so that visitors to the Hall can see it on display.

Every year the effigy is made by three Parent Club members: Raymond Walker (Baker Parent Club) created the current design of the effigy and has been building it for 20 years this year; Johnny Smyth (Walker Parent Club) has been working with Raymond for 16 years now and myself, Scott Rutherford (Campsie Parent Club), this is my fifth year building Lundy.

Final preparations start a week before the parade. The specially constructed scaffolding which the effigy is hung on has to be brought up from the basement of the Memorial Hall followed by the now traditional hunt for enough bolts to put it together. The effigy itself is kept hanging up from August when it is completed until December. However moving an 18 foot high doll poses a few problems when it has to go out of a normal 6foot high door! The Effigy has to be tied up, to hold the arms and legs in place, and then laid down on its side.

Early on the morning of the parade a team of volunteers from across the Parent Clubs along with a few people from the Fountain Estate help to construct the scaffolding in Society Street, just outside the Mem. The task of moving the Effigy outside and onto the scaffolding takes over a dozen men.

With the Effigy laying flat along the ground, it is carried out, feet first and laid across the base of the scaffolding. Raymond then adds the final piece to the effigy, the bundle of match on his back. Once on the scaffolding, the effigy is untied and it is all pushed along Society Street to Bishop Street where it will be burned. The final job is to winch the effigy to the top of the scaffolding and secure it at the top.

With the effigy in place, responsibility for the Effigy is now in the hands of the Parent Club in charge of the day’s events, the Walker Club this year. They watch the effigy all day and a member of the Club will light the effigy, traditionally it is the oldest member of the Club who lights it.

Once the effigy is burnt out and the Branch Clubs have left Bishop St we begin the task of clearing up. The metal spine of the effigy has to be taken down from the scaffolding before it can be moved, often while parts are still burning! The scaffolding is pushed back to the Memorial Hall and dismantled and left back in the basement of the Hall, this time by a much smaller team of volunteers.

Scott Rutherford

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