Sir Murray will go down in history for leading the last great cavalry charge in history on October 31, 1917, which was undertaken by the 4th and 12th Light Horse at Beersheba — a battle that historians credit with changing the course of World War I.
“It's a very little-known story. And it's one that we should be all proud of, because a lot of local men were with him in the fourth regiment,” former State Member for Shepparton Jeanette Powell said.
“We should be honouring our locals. And here's one local that has not been recognised as he should. And this is an opportunity to recognise what he did, and what the Light Horse did.”
It’s been 14 years in the making since Ms Powell secured the original $50,000 in parliament in 2008-9 that was used to employ a sculptor.
“There will be a number of people there on Sunday who were actually around the kitchen table at the property of former Brigadier Sir Murray in Katandra, when they first told me what a local hero he was, and that there should be some acknowledgement of his service,” she said.
“Not just as a soldier and a military man, but also for his community and as a farmer. And I think that that story needs to be told, because it's one of those stories that are not in history books.”
When Sir Murray returned after the war, he farmed at Katandra before entering state politics, and distinguished himself as agriculture minister and deputy premier.
He was an advocate for veterans and a key proponent of the soldier settlement schemes that brought a generation of men into farming, and was passionate about rural prosperity.
A team of community members, led by the RSL and Greater Shepparton City Council, has been working for years to fund and build a memorial.
Their efforts have culminated in the unveiling slated for Sunday at 11am at Shepparton’s Queens Gardens, the day before Anzac Day.
The original sculptor, Paul Smits, who nearly finished the statue, has since passed away, with Ewan Coates completing and bronzing the work.
And while Mr Smits won’t be there, his family will attend the unveiling.
“It's great that they are going to be able to see the finished statue because they obviously would have been going along the journey with Paul,” Ms Powell said.
Another key member on the project has since passed away: the former president of the RSL, Peter McPhee, who was instrumental in making Sunday’s unveiling a reality.
“He was, again, involved in this project with me right from the start,” Ms Powell said.
“I know he would have been absolutely delighted to see this statue here on Sunday because it was something that he really wanted and the RSL has been really behind the project.
“It'll be a sad day for many people, but a really exciting and historic day for others.”
