A statue of Wally Lewis stands outside of Suncorp Stadium (Formally Lang Park) in Brisbane to commemorate one of Queensland greatest ever sportsmen.
Funds for the statue were raised through public donations that were sought by the Courier Mail who commissioned the statue. The statue was entrusted to the Lang Park Trust to ever more reside at Suncorp Stadium. Designed by Art Buster, the statue is made of Bronze and is hollow.
The Bronze exterior had faded to a very dull finish but in 2003 when Suncorp Stadium was re-developed the statue was recoated in bronze and hence the shiny finish you see today.
The Text On The Statue Reads
WALLY LEWIS
The Emperor of Lang Park
This honour was bestowed upon Wally Lewis by the former Chairman of the Queensland Rugby League, Senator and acclaimed father of State of Origin, the late Ron McAuliffe, in recognition of the impact Wally had on matches played at this ground across three decades.
Lewis is arguably the greatest Rugby League player of all time. He is one of only a handful of players to be named a Rugby League Immortal and was one of the six inaugural members of the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame.
He achieved the greatest honour in Rugby League the captaincy of his country but it was his feats as Queensland skipper and playmaker in State of Origin that he achieved legendary status. He played 31 Origin games (30 as captain) and a record 8 Man of the Match awards over a 12 year period.
The name Wally Lewis is synonymous with State of Origin and Queensland Rugby League and continues to be an inspiration to future generations of footballers.