Historical information

This honor board was made by Robert Prenzel (1866–1941) who was born and trained in Prussia, and migrated to Australia arriving in Melbourne on 24th November on the steamer Habsburg. In Melbourne Prenzel first worked for the German sculptor and modeller Otto Waschatz, decorating private homes and public buildings. From 1891-1901 Prenzel worked in partnership with another German, Johann Christian Treede, after which he continued in business on his own. He also participated in the activities of Melbourne’s Deutscher Turnverein.

During the first quarter of the current century he became the major exponent in the field of furniture and woodwork of the cult of nationalism, and was renowned for his carvings, many of them in the art nouveau style, of Australian animals, birds, trees and flowers. The two most common types of Australian timber in his work are mountain ash and blackwood.

Physical description

Colour photographs of a beautifully carved World War One Honour Board carved by Robert Prenzel.