When Australia celebrated 50 years of Victory in the Pacific Day, a committee was formed in Gunnedah to commemorate the occasion and plan a memorial for those who served in World War II.
Australia Remembers was the theme for the commemoration beginning with the dedication of a grove of trees planted in Anzac Park.
More than 150 Gunnedah residents attended the service, including ex-service personnel, and all were moved by the significance and importance of the Remembrance Grove.
Chairman of the Australia Remembers committee, Bill Clegg, led the service, explaining the significance of the grove, which comprised 50 trees, one to mark each year since the end of World War II.
The trees were also planted in four groupings to represent the four major theatres of war Australians were involved in – Europe, Mediterranean/Middle East, Pacific and Australia/New Guinea. During the dedication service Richie Mar-Young and Ingrid Haynes (Gunnedah High School) and Rebecca Hopkins and Matthew Priest (St Mary’s College) read a Roll of Honour featuring 76 names of Gunnedah and district servicemen and one woman who lost their lives during the war. Salvation Army minister Lieutenant John Hindle paid tribute to all who had served in World War II and a commemorative stone was unveiled by World War II veteran Roy Law OAM, who was also president of the Gunnedah RSL sub-Branch,
“The people of Gunnedah and district in years to come will be able to come to this spot and reflect on the sacrifice our men and women made in the six years of world conflict to ensure our culture and way of life would be protected and preserved,” Mr Law said.
Chair of the Australia Remembers committee Bill Clegg addressing the crowd at the unveiling of the grove.
The service finished with the national anthem and. the haunting Last Post played by Gunnedah Shire Band member Michelle Rowe.
The following month, the final event of the Australia Remembers program included the opening of the memorial wall in Eight Division Memorial Avenue by former Gunnedah resident Tom Morris to perpetuate the memory of members of the Eighth Division who had died since the end of the war.
Mr Morris gave an engaging account of the establishment of the memorial avenue in the 1950s and its development over the years.
The memorial wall was dedicated by Rev Charles Findlay, of the Presbyterian Church and the Roll of Honour was read by Matthew Priest, a grandson of former POW Sergeant Alex Priest.
On September 3, 1995, a time capsule was buried on the site containing a record of local events during the war years and a report of the local 50th anniversary commemorations in Gunnedah. Local students Kellie Stavert, Sam Hennessy Andrew Moodie, Peter Chapman and Ingrid Haynes were given the honour of lowering the capsule supervised by war veteran Aub Nash.
The inscription on the plaque reads: This time capsule was placed hereunder on the 3rd day of September 1995 to record Australia at War 1939-1945. To be opened in the year 2045.
September 3 was significant as it marked 50 years since the signing of the surrender document by the Japanese aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
Gunnedah Memorial Pool staff kept the trees and lawns alive with a 100m hose and sprinkler connected to a tap in the pool grounds until the long-awaited underground watering system was officially turned on in December 2002.
The total cost of the project came to $12,000 with council shouldering the expense of connecting the water from the nearest outlet. RSL president Roy Law summed up the sentiments of the group, saying he never thought he would live long enough to see the water turned on at the grove.
The committee also received financial assistance from the RSL and Legacy Widows and with support from Member for Gwydir, John Anderson, was able to acquire a grant of $4000 from Veteran’s Affairs.
On August 15, 1997, an appeal was launched to complete the Remembrance Grove project. Chairman Bill Clegg led a wreath laying ceremony at the grove to commemorate 52 years since the end of the war.
The dedication of the memorial plaques in the grove was held on Sunday, April 26, 1998. WWII veteran Aub Nash unveiled the Middle East plaque, with war widow Madge Jeffries unveiling the plaque dedicated to Australia/Naval personnel. The UK/Europe commemorative plaque was unveiled by war widow June Potter with the Far East/South West Pacific plaque unveiled by Roy Law.
The dedication of the plaques was carried out by Lt Stephen Briggs of the Salvation Army, with students from Gunnedah High and St Mary’s College – Angela Berry, Cathy Christie, Jarrod Ewing, Bree Weakley and Randal Wood reading the Honour Roll.
Wreaths were laid by then mayor of Gunnedah, Geoff Marshall, Gwyn Jaeger (Remembrance Grove Committee) and RSL president Roy Law, who also recited the Ode, with the Last Post sounded by bugler Michelle Rowe.
The Remembrance Grove committee began planning for another project, which would see the erection of a semi-circular stone wall around the flag pole and plaques added to record the 700 men and women from Gunnedah and district who served during World War II. The committee hoped to raise $30,000 to cover the cost of the wall.
After a concerted fund-raising effort, the curved wall above the Remembrance Grove, Anzac Park, was dedicated on May 20, 2007, and unveiled by Roy Law OAM, former president of the Gunnedah RSL sub-Branch, who had retired after 30 years at the helm.
Crowd pictured at the dedication and unveiling of the Remembrance Wall in 2007.
The unveiling and dedication ceremony was chaired by former Gunnedah mayor Bill Clegg, who was also chair of the Australia Remembers committee. Special guests and speakers included mayor Gae Swain, NSW RSL treasurer Rod White and Gunnedah RSL sub-Branch president Peter Clarke, before wreaths were laid.
Salvation Army representative Graham Crown provided the dedication of the wall. The opening of the wall was the culmination of years of research by members of the Gunnedah & District Historical Society and the RSL sub-Branch, in drawing up the list of personnel.
Roy Law OAM unveiling the plaque at the unveiling of the Remembrance Wall in 2007.
On top of the wall are 13 bronze plaques alphabetically featuring the names of more than 2000 men and women from Gunnedah and district who served their country in the Second World War. A flagpole stands in front of the wall, and in 1995 an additional dedication plaque was installed at the base of the flagpole to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Today Anzac Park is a living memorial to those who served, with the war memorial pool the centrepiece, wrapped on the southern side by Eighth Division Memorial Avenue, the Rosewarne School war memorial and the Vietnam War memorial murals on the walls of the Water Tower Museum, with a dedicated war memorabilia display inside.
Front inscription:
1939 1945
Left wall plaque
REMEMBRANCE WALL
This wall honours and records the names of over two thousand men and women from Gunnedah and District who served their country in the Second World War.
Dedicated on Sunday 20th May 2007 and unveiled by Mr Roy Law OAM former President of the Gunnedah R. & S. L. Sub Branch Gunnedah Remembrance Grove Committee
The plaque at the base of flagpole is inscribed:
1945 – 1995
REMEMBRANCE GROVE
This grove of fifty trees featuring species representative of the four main theatres of conflict in which Australian forces served was dedicated on the 15th Day of August, 1995 the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
To the memory of the men and women of Gunnedah and District who served the nation in that conflict
Australia Remembers
