Irish poet and balladeer Thomas Moore, best-known for penning The Minstrel Boy and The Last Rose of Summer, is honored in this statue prominently located in Sturt Street created by sculptor George Grant from white Carrara marble. George Grant was trained at the School of Art associated with the National Gallery of Victoria, apparently in the 1880s, and then worked as an artist, specialist house painter, and banner artist. Several of his paintings are held by the Ballarat Art Gallery. Moore`s writings range from lyric to satire, from prose romance to history and biography. His popular "Irish Melodies" appeared in ten parts between 1807 and 1835. Moore was a good musician and skillful writer of songs, which he set to Irish tunes, mainly of the 18th century. This statue is of historic and aesthetic significance to the people of Ballarat.Marble statue of Thomas Moore above a large sandstone pillar West: Presented to the City Council of Ballaarat by the following citizens: H.F. Elliot, The Honorable E. Morey M.L.C., Cr C.R. Retallick, Cr J. Heinz. South: R.S. Mitchell, P. Papenhagen, T. Elliot, J. Snow, G.K. Coutts, C. Bailey, J.J. Goller & Co, W.E. Ballhausen, G. Thompson, W.H. Figgis. North: S. Seward, F.G. Haymes, Craig Williamson, R. Giddings, G. Berry, R. Inge, J.A. Pittard, L. Lederman, H. Bremer, D. Jones. thomas moore