The Tasmanian sculptor, who has about 69 public works across the state, created his art to be touched, not just looked at.

His most famous piece in Launceston is arguably the Tasmanian tableau, which has had its home in Civic Square since its installation in 1992.

Saturday marked four years since the artist’s death and his wife Elizabeth Walker said his family always enjoyed driving past his works.

“It’s always a lovely moment, to see people climbing all over them,” she said.

“He wanted people to engage with his art work.”

She said her family had always considered the works to be “sculptures, not statues”.

Mrs Walker said her husband was a private man, but took great enjoyment in his artwork.

RELATED STORIES:

Walker died in 2014 but the tableau, and all his other public works, allow his family and his beloved home state to continue to have a connection.

The tableau has been pulled apart to make way for renovation works at Civic Square, but his family has been working with the City of Launceston council to have the tableau reinstated after the square’s redevelopment.

Mrs Walker said while her husband was always a relatively private man, there was one thing that he was always proud of.

“The French government created a stamp that had his sculpture on it,” she said.

Walker has a sculpture at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hobart, which is located in the French memorial part of the gardens.

“He was always pretty happy about that,” she said.

Walker was born in Victoria but moved to Hobart in 1948, after he left school at age 13.

He was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for ‘service to sculpture’ in 1985.