War Memorials in Australia
Parkes and Districts Cenotaph
Place:
Parkes, New South Wales, 2870
District:
Central West Slopes
and Plains
Orientation: 34 km N of
Forbes
Location: Cooke Park, Short Street and Welcome Street
Position: 33 08 S 148 10 E
Ref: 20676
__________________________
The memorial consists of five polished black granite steles inscribed with the names of Parkes and Districts residents who paid the supreme sacrifice in four major wars. In front of the steles an angled length of polished black granite carries the names of those other conflicts in which Australia has taken part and this rests on a grey granite and concrete raised platform. A moat around the memorial is filled with white gravel and is crossed by a concrete and granite bridge which is bordered by six metal posts. There is a flagpole at the rear of the memorial.
The memorial which cost approx. $120,000 was dedicated on 23 April 2004. Architect Peter Dunn was born in nearby Peak Hill and stonemasons were Kell and Denson of Tumut. The project was coordinated by Vietnam veteran Greig Ball.
The dedication service was conducted by Rev Chris Nelson (Baptist Church), Father Peter Unwin (Holy Family Catholic Church) and Canon Samuel Marsden (St George's Anglican Church). Federal Member for Parkes John Cobb cut a ribbon to commemorate the occasion. The official party also included Mayor Robert Wilson, State member for Dubbo Tony McGrane, Mr Gordon Dickson (Parkes Sub-Branch RSL President) and Mrs Dickson, Mr Greig Ball and wife Sue. Mr Michael Greenwood was the Presiding Officer for the ceremony. Parkes High School Year 10 student Hannah Farrant-Jayet gave a musical recital and also led the singing of the national anthem. A highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of an Active Service Medal. Mrs Gloria Sullivan accepted the medal on behalf of her son Douglas R. J. Powter who lost his life in Vietnam in 1967.
NE face of steles, reading
steles from east to west
1st stele
Etched photographic image of Private Simpson and wounded soldier on
donkey
First World War
1914 - 1918
| PARKES | Hennesy E.A. | ALECTOWN | Bryant J. H. | TRUNDLE | ||
| Baker E. M. | Hill A. J. | Cook W. J. | Carrol J. R. | Bird E. E. | ||
| Barnes L. J. | Keeley W. D. | Hawken T. L. | Connelly J. | Bloomfield K. | ||
| Bartlett B. C. | Kirby S. | Klein C. | Cooper T. | Cantrill R. | ||
| Bartlett O. J. T. | Klein F. J. | Sanders W. T. | Copeland J. | Chisholm J. | ||
| Boorn W. T. | Knight F. | Smith C. E. | Dawes H. N. | Gage C. | ||
| Bowman A. P. | Latham H. | Stewart F. A. | Farquharson W. | Gallway H. S. | ||
| Buckley J. J. | Leister L. | Whitmill L. | Fugazza J. | Hall F. | ||
| Chandler G. | Le Plastrier G. | Galloway W. | James W. R. | |||
| Charlton A. J. | Lewis J. E. | BOGAN GATE | Garnett A. | Long J. F. | ||
| Clarke W. T. MM | Lowing W. H. | Allison W. | Grant R. | Matthews S. | ||
| Commins F. B. | McCall J. D. | Aubin C. | Hale W. | Ramsey F. T. | ||
| Cooke T. H. | McCulloch C. | Cameron A. | Hansen J. S. | Restell G. H. | ||
| Coombs W. H. | McGuiness A. | Carpenter W. | Hastings S. | Watson H. B. | ||
| Cunich M. | McLean A. | Dawson H. | Hawkins A. | |||
| Cussen E. S. | Moon F. E. | Forsyth W. | McIntosh W. | TULLAMORE | ||
| Davis C. | Murphy G. E. | Hinds E. | McPhail W. | Burke T. | ||
| Day K. | Norris M. | Hobson G. R. | Merritt H. A. | Cameron K. | ||
| Dempsey W. H. MM | Packham F. | Kable H. | Moore W. | Gray C. A. | ||
| Dixon W. R. | Pearce N. L. | Mack C. | Osborne W. H. | Mitchell J. | ||
| Douglas R. | Pugsley R. | Magill E. L. | Oxley H. J. | Rathbone H. H. | ||
| Dunnett J. H. | Ralph P. | Newell H. M. | Parker J. W. | Savage H. G. P. | ||
| Edwards G. J. | Raymond S. L. | Pett E. F. | Payne H. T. M. | |||
| Ellis R. R. | Sansom W. A. | Swansbra H. E. | Pettigrew W. | WONGALEA | ||
| Ellis S. J. | Scott H. | Steel J. | Piddington W. | Abbott S. | ||
| Fahey M. S. | Sheppard R. | Thompson W. | Porter J. | Tanswell L. V. | ||
| Farnsworth J. | Shrimpton W. T. | Williamson J. S. | Reakes L. M. | |||
| Fay C. | Simpson W. | Wise G. A. | Ryan A. J. | YARRABANDAI | ||
| Ford A. R. | Slingsby J. | Sexton N. | Dwyer P. L. | |||
| Forster S. | Smart A. J. | BRUIE PLAINS | Slattery J. E. | Berry A. | ||
| Frederick K. | Smith J. G. | Melville T. H. | Stuart A. A. | |||
| Frith L. | Staggs B. B. | Taylor W. T. | ||||
| Geddes R. R. | Stokes A. | PEAK HILL | Tittensor B. W. | |||
| Giffin W. B. | Stuchbury R. S. | Anderson G. | Whisker A. N. | |||
| Glover E. F. | Tait A. S. B. | Angus T. | Wooten J. W. | |||
| Gosper L. MM | Taylor E. J. MM | Arthur D. W. | Woodley J. W. T. | |||
| Guest A. P. | Webb G. J. | Atkinson F. | Youman J. | |||
| Hamilton J. | Weir R. H. | Ball T. | ||||
| Hanney J. M. | Williams R. | Bingham A. C. | TICHBOURNE | |||
| Harris N. E. | Witts R. M. | Brammel A. | Goode W. J. | |||
| Hartwell S. F. | Bray J. | McMillan W. G. L. |
2nd stele
Etched photographic images of fighter planes, wounded soldier
and destroyer
Second World War
1939 - 1945
| PARKES | Heaton R. E. | ALECTOWN | PEAK HILL | TRUNDLE | ||
| Arrow E. J. | Holdstock J. A. | Ash A. D. | Agnew M. M. | Bruce C. R. | ||
| Asgill C. C. | Huggard J. S. | McAllister R. | Baldwin W. G. | Crowley C. | ||
| Barber R. G. N. | Humfrey P. C. C. | Sanderson K. O. | Copeland R. J. | Ervin W. J. | ||
| Bowman H. P. | Jackson M. S. | Diggins W. A. | Gault R. H. | |||
| Bowman W. S. | Kelly P. R. | BOGAN GATE | Du-Rieu G. W. | Gossett W. B. | ||
| Bicket W. S. | Langford M. E. | Brown T. | Golding R. J. | Graham W. | ||
| Blackstock J. | Langlands T. H. | Godson C. H. | Gray F. L. | Moloney M. | ||
| Broomham C. F. | Leonard F. J. | Grady E. J. | Harrison C. | Watts D. L. | ||
| Carr I. A. F. F. | Macdonald A. H. | Harrison L. | Kearines V. W. | Watts F. S. | ||
| Cole T. W. T. | Macdonald R. G. | Kearney K. H. | Matthews L. S. T. | West S. L. | ||
| Cooper W. J. | McCarroll W. J. | Mason C. E. | Newbigging R. J. | Woodford R. G. | ||
| Crittenden K. A. | Mastin V. B. | McMaster G. | Pratt J. | |||
| Crofts E. E. | Moutain C. B. | Middleton R. H. VC | Price J. | TULLAMORE | ||
| Darken R. D. | Mullins R. D. | Pearce N. E. | Schute P. | Bingham E. B. | ||
| Deem R. V. | Norman R. E. | Roberts T. W. | Stanford B. J. S. | Buerckner T. | ||
| Glidart R. F. | Richards E. H. | Clifton F. G. | ||||
| Grogan A. | Ritchie G. F. | Lander A. H. | ||||
| Gunning V. M. (F) | Stanton A. J. | Lander F. R. | ||||
| Hall H. M. | Stibbard J. H. | Page S. | ||||
| Hansell H. N. | Wakefield J. W. H. | Peck H. T. | ||||
| Harpley J. C. | White G. L. | Schubert E. | ||||
| Hayes L. P. | Whitham A. E. | Wilson M. | ||||
| Hearne J. F. | Younghusband L. |
3rd stele
Incised coat of arms of Commonwealth of Australia
4th stele
Etched photographic images of Australian soldiers
Korean War
1950 - 1953
PARKES
Matthews K. C. Squiers S. S.
BOGAN GATE
Howarth T. G.
5th stele
Etched photographic images of Australian soldiers awaiting
lift-off by helicopters
Vietnam War
1962 - 1972
PARKES
Danilenko A. Powter D. R. J.
On length of black granite in
front of steles
Insignia of Returned & Services League of Australia
LEST WE FORGET
Wreath insignia
Sudan (NSW Contingent) March - June 1885 .
Boer War 1899 - 1902 . Boxer Uprising 1900 - 1901 . Malayan Emergency 1950 -
1960 . Confrontation (Indonesia) 1964 - 1966
Gulf War (Middle East) 1990 - 1991 . Afghanistan 2001 - 2002 . Iraq 2003 .
Peacekeeping
Information current to August 2004
Sources:
The information and
photo
© on this page have been kindly provided by
Lex Weaver
Parkes Champion Post 29 March 2004
Parkes Champion Post 26 April 2004