War Memorials in Australia

Kangaroo Ground Tower of Remembrance

Place: Kangaroo Ground, Victoria, 3097
District: Central (VIC)
Orientation: 33 km NE of Melbourne
Location: War Memorial Park, Eltham-Yarra Glen Road, about 800 metres north-east of general store
Position: 37 41 27 S     145 13 46 E
Ref: 30054

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The memorial is a brick, basalt stone and reinforced concrete tower with sandstone rubble facing and concrete quoins and dressings. The foundations are in solid rock and the base of the tower is 4.8m x 4.8m external and 3.3m x 3.3m internal, the wall being 76cm thick at the base tapering to 40cm at the top. The height of the tower is 12m (40 feet) with a small fire spotters' cabin on top rising another 2.8m. It is built in the style of a Scottish keep and surmounts a hill originally known as Garden Hill.  An internal staircase gives access to an area at the top from which there is a wide view of Melbourne city, the north-east suburbs and Kinglake Ranges enabling it to be used for fire-spotting in the summer months.  Built as a memorial to the men from Eltham shire who died in World War I, it was unveiled on 11 November 1926 by the Governor-General, Lord Stonehaven.

The following information has been taken from The Tower of Remembrance and War Memorial Park on Garden Hill at Kangaroo Ground, Victoria 1919-2001 by Harry Gilham, a publication of the Eltham District Historical Society Inc. It is published here with the kind permission of the author and the Society.

At a meeting of the Eltham Shire Council in August 1918, the Shire President, Cr White was reported as saying:    
    'It was proposed earlier that the Council obtain and place on an Honour Board in the council chambers (at Kangaroo Ground) the names of the lads
    who had enlisted.  Just recently however, it had been suggested that a more fitting memorial would be the obtaining of a piece of land on the
    summit of Garden Hill, Kangaroo Ground and the formation of a memorial park in which a monument could be erected to represent the whole
    Shire.  If a couple of acres could be obtained, a gentleman had promised to donate 50 pounds and another would fence it and other contributions,
    he was sure, could be obtained.'

Local resident Mr Walter Wippell donated £50 and with it the Council purchased one acre of the park site and then sought public donations for the remaining acre of land. Joseph Mess agreed to take £50 per acre for two acres at Garden Hill. The Engineer said he would undertake the necessary survey gratis. After inspection he suggested that, in order to get a good approach,  extra land be obtained from Mrs White on the next property. Messrs Hill and Talbot, Solicitors generously agreed to put through the transfer fee but Council later became concerned at the delay in completing the transfers. It resolved that the firm be notified if the transfers were not completed at once, their services would be dispensed with.  Office of Titles records show that the title deeds to the Mess land, which were paid for in 1918-19 and promised to Council at no cost, were not actually transferred until 14 January 1952 after the 1918 owners had passed away.

A working bee was held and 25-30 volunteers ploughed and cleaned up the site in October 1919. In May 1920 subscription lists were opened for the purpose of raising funds to the proposed scheme of beautification and to erect, at a later date, a fitting monument to perpetuate the memory of those who fell in the Great War. A committee was formed with Mr W. B. Thomas as Hon. Secretary and Treasurer.

Fundraising for the memorial took place over a period of ten years. Donations were made by individuals and various clubs and sporting groups. All such donations were published in The Advertiser newspaper and thus became available for public scrutiny. One of the largest groups of fund-raisers was the Kangaroo Ground Women's Memorial Bazaar Committee which in time raised funds for over a quarter of the tower cost. It's bazaar on 2 February 1923 raised in excess of £160.  In December 1923 the ladies of Kangaroo Ground held a Jumble Fair and Confetti Battle which cleared over £10 and an Ugly Man Competition organised by three East Riding councillors raised £100.  In addition to these various activities, debentures were sold on the understanding that they would become redeemable after work was completed on the memorial.

During 1921 rocks collected at working bees were used to build a memorial cairn in a slight depression at the highest point in the park and on Saturday 3 September of that year the Memorial Park was formally opened by Mr W. H. Everard M.L.A., the local member for Evelyn in State Parliament. In his address he commended Council for wisely taking steps to make the site a national undertaking in honour of those boys who enlisted from the Shire and fell in the great cause for liberty.  Shire Councillors often get more kicks than half-pence but in future people will look back and thank them, also the people who assisted, when they look up at the Memorial Park. The park stood for nobility of purpose. It would be an everlasting reminder of those who gave their very all that our country may be free to govern ourselves. It would stir up the noble instinct in us all to do what was right and honourable. In time the district would become more populated and in those days people who came along will bless the magnificent sight reserved. Mr Everard added that a former Governor of  Victoria desired the site for residential purposes and, prior to leaving for the old country, said that the spot would be one that he would never forget.

At a public meeting held on 21 January 1924 the 1920 Soldiers' Memorial Park Committee was replaced by the Eltham Shire War Memorial League with Cr. B. Hall as Chairman. A cheque for £250 was received from Council and it was decided to open an account at the State Savings Bank. All committees raising funds who had money in hand were requested to forward same to the Treasurer. The name of the committee was later changed to the Shire of Eltham Soldiers' Memorial League.

The committee called for designs and on 6 May 1924 accepted the one submitted by Mr McCormack, the Shire Engineer with such modifications as may be agreed upon between the Engineer and the executive committee with expert advice. It would be a tower, seventy feet high and could be elaborated on at any time. The committee had previously stipulated that the approved design must provide for local stone. It was pointed out that the selected design lent itself to the rough stone and that it would come within the limit of £750.

Mr McCormack refused the £5 offered for the winning design and the money was divided between the next two designs which had recorded the same number of votes and had come from students in technical schools. It was proposed that the designs be exhibited in various places in an effort to raise more money towards the £750 goal.

In January 1926 a meeting of the Soldiers' Memorial League adopted a design prepared by Mr Percy H. Meldrum of the Melbourne architectural firm of Stephenson and Meldrum. Mr Meldrum based his design on the competition entry of the Shire Engineer and a sketch by local artist Harold Herbert and offered the design free of cost. The amount to be expended on the tower was fixed at £750 of which £500 was in hand.

At the 6 February 1926 meeting of the League Mr Meldrum explained the revised planning from the proposed 70 foot tower to the new design at 50 feet and then a further reduction to 40 feet to meet the £750 cost decision of the League.  He suggested that the names of the fallen should be shown on the outside of the tower on a bronze tablet and a marble tablet could be put inside. Twenty-eight names had been collected to be put on the tablets and this figure was increased to over 70 over the next two years.

The search for a suitable source of stone for the memorial took some time which caused concern to the League.  Eventually a suitable supply was donated by Dr. Ethel Osborne from a quarry on her property in Donaldson's Road, Kangaroo Ground. Several tenders were received for the erection of the tower and the meeting of 26 April 1926 accepted that of George Pownell of Mordialloc for £680.

A working bee was held at the Memorial Park on 21 August 1926 when 30 residents, including Councillors Andrew, Bell and Rutter, planted 100 trees and put netting around them. The tower had now reached a height of 25 feet.

The committee agreed that a temporary honour board be prepared in time for the opening containing the names of all the soldiers who fell in the Great War and enlisted from the Shire of Eltham, the idea being that the names be allowed to remain for a year or two before the permanent honour board be set up.  This would enable any errors that may have occurred to be corrected and the secretary could be notified of any omissions and thus the permanent board would be absolutely correct when completed. The Advertiser published 65 names for the honour board on 15 September 1926 and in its 22 October edition stated that the list of fallen soldiers who enlisted from the Eltham Shire would be sent to each post office so that the residents may see and correct any omissions.

On  Armistice Day Thursday11 November 1926 about 1500 people attended the unveiling ceremony timed to commence at 3 p.m. A public holiday was proclaimed throughout the Shire of Eltham for that day. A special invitation to be present was issued to the parents and next of kin of all fallen soldiers, to all returned Navy and Army Sisters and to all returned sailors and soldiers of or belonging to the Shire. As many residents of the Shire as possible were asked to attend.

The Advertiser of 12 November 1926 carried the following description:

A Guard of Honour was formed by the school children of Eltham, Panton Hill, Hurstbridge, Kangaroo Ground, Research and Queenstown as His Excellency the Governor-General Lord Stonehaven and Lady Stonehaven approached the tower when the National Anthem was sung followed by the hymn "Oh God Our Help in Ages Past".

Chaplain Green of St Martin's, Hawksburn offered up a thanksgiving and prayer, dedicating the monument to the glory of those who laid down their lives for others.

Kipling's "Recessional" was then sung, Mrs D. Rogers being the organist. Sir William Irvine said, "he had been asked as a resident of the Shire of Eltham to welcome their Excellencies, they were so well known as to hardly require an introduction in any part of the Commonwealth.  From where they stood they could see a large part of the shire and all felt deep gratitude to those who fell in the Great War."

The Governor-General, in a very impressive address, said, "there was no more appropriate day to unveil a memorial than Armistice Day.  It is a day that brings home to us the realities of the Empire and from the time the people in Melbourne commenced that morning to pray tribute to God, when the people in the Old Country were asleep, there would be celebrations at every hour of the day in different parts of the Empire.  The magnitude of the sacrifice was not, and could not, be fully recognised.

We live under such free institutions that we do not recognise it until we are in danger.  What would our position be if the War had ended differently?  Let us not forget the sacrifice the men made, nobly supported by the women of the Empire.  The memorial is worthy of the great memory of the dead, which it seeks to celebrate - a plain, strong, simple tower; typical of the men we are reminded of.  It is to be hoped that Armistice Day will continue to be celebrated so that future generations will realise what they have to pay, in their time, to the State.  By the glorious deeds of the men of this country, history has been made, which started Australia off with the rest of the nations that contribute to the British Empire."

The Honour Board was then unveiled, disclosing over 70 names.

"Stand Fast" was sounded by Mr. J. H. Page of the Returned Soldiers' Band followed by two minutes silence then "The Last Post" and "Reveille".

The reception committee entertained the Governor-General and party to afternoon tea after which they left amidst the cheers of the people.

The raising of funds to repay the debentures continued to concern the League. Minutes of the meeting of 6 December 1926 recorded the amount received in donations as £970.9s.4d and expenditure as £1,057.14s.10d. Actual cost of the memorial was £1,023.5s.0d. Fundraising events included a concert, a dance and a Cosmopolitan Social and Dance. Some debenture holders agreed to make a donation of their debentures in order to assist in freeing the memorial of debts.

On 15 April 1927 Council resolved to provide £50 annually towards the maintenance of the Park and to build a hut of stone similar to the monument and engage an old age pensioner as caretaker in order to look after the plots and trees. A subsequent meeting resolved to engage a caretaker at 10 shillings a week to be in charge of the key on holidays and Sundays.  This followed an occasion when a large number of motorists arrived at the monument and were annoyed because they were unable to secure the key in order to get into the tower.

The permanent tablet bearing the names of those who died for their country was erected on the monument in 1930 at a cost in excess of £100. On Friday 16 November 1951 the Governor of Victoria, Sir Dallas Brooks unveiled a tablet bearing the names of those from the district who had fallen during World War II. He also dedicated the tower and cottage to the memory of the gallant fallen of both World Wars.

In May 1952 Sir Hubert Gepp gave a second section of land to ease the road entry to the Park.  He had become the Park's neighbour after further widening and lowering of the passing road.

The tower has been used for fire-spotting duties since 1946 and in 1974 an enclosed cabin was built at the top of the tower to provide protection for spotters and their equipment. At first the proposal to make the addition met resistance from some RSL branches who objected to the use of the memorial for this purpose but most eventually accepted the community's need of the facility.

In 1996 Dean Stewart, the then Council Caretaker at the War Memorial Park, suggested that Council be asked to raise and highlight the lost significance of the Tower of Remembrance and the surrounding Park. Dean had become aware of the number of people who visited the site but were unaware of its significance as a war memorial.  He also noted the need for interpretive signage or heritage markers, landscape works, upgraded car parking and access facilities for visitors with disabilities.

On 12 December 1997 Nillumbik Shire Council, which had absorbed the Shire of  Eltham during council amalgamations in 1994, appointed the Kangaroo Ground Memorial Tower Advisory Committee and gave it the task of planning the refurbishment of the site. It was also asked to research the task of adding to the existing WWI and WWII plaques and recognising post World War II conflicts in  in a similar way. Refurbishment work commenced in September 2001 and included the provision of two new bronze plates honouring servicemen and women who served in Korea, Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam.  It also included lighting the exterior of the tower, replacement of the seven palms that originally surrounded the tower representing the points of the Federation star and provision of interpretive signs. The cost of the two new plaques approached $10,000 and gold coin donations were sought from the community, a scale model of the tower being used as a money box. This raised $729.95, the Department of Veterans Affairs donated close to $4,000 and Nillumbik Council agreed to make up any deficit.

The Governor of Victoria, John Landy rededicated the memorial on 8 November 2001, a few days before the75th anniversary of the original dedication of the tower and unveiled the two new plaques.

East face, above entrance door
Metal insignia of Australian Commonwealth Military Forces

Below this is a metal plaque
SHIRE OF ELTHAM
WAR MEMORIAL
THESE     MEN     DIED     FOR     THEIR     COUNTRY
1914       IN     REMEMBRANCE     THIS     TOWER     WAS     BUILT       1918

Bronze plaque in recess on south side of entrance arch
Wreath
KOREA
1950        1953

BORNEO
1952        1953

LEST WE FORGET

Bronze plaque in recess on north side of entrance arch
Wreath
MALAYA
1958        1960

VIETNAM
1962        1975

LEST WE FORGET

Other image(s) - Click for larger view

      
    Plaques and interpretive sign                Caretaker's cottage             
Photos by Harry Gilham

Information current to December 2002

Sources:  Gilham_Harry, The Tower of Remembrance and War Memorial Park on Garden Hill at Kangaroo Ground, Victoria 1919-2001, Eltham District Historical Society Inc.,
                            PO Box 137 Eltham Vic 3095,  2002

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