Sutherland War Memorial
Peace Park, Eton St, Sutherland
After the conclusion of World War 1 a number of
groups within the Shire organised memorials or honour rolls to commemorate those
associated who had served. The first two of these were Sutherland Congregational
Church and Waterfall Station, closely followed by the public schools at
Sutherland, Miranda, Menai and Cronulla.
By April 1919 the council decided to erect a
memorial to cover the whole of the Shire and allocated £100 ($200) for this
purpose with any additional funds needed to be raised by the public.
The Sutherland War memorial was completed by
December 1920 at the intersection of Eton Street and the Princes Highway. Later
a low stone wall with four pillars and iron railings was added. The official
unveiling by the Governor of NSW, Sir Walter Davidson took place on Saturday 28
May 1921. A large crowd was in attendance
with a guard of honour provided by the Cronulla Boy Scouts. Later lighting was
added to the four corner pillars and the top of the memorial.
In 1992 the memorial was relocated to its present
position in Peace Park. There was not enough room to accommodate the
surrounding stone wall, pillars and light poles.
The rededication ceremony, on Sunday 18 October 1992 was again
performed by the State Governor who, at this time, was Rear Admiral Peter
Sinclair.
In April 2005 a black granite remembrance wall was
erected, dedicated to “all Australian men and women who had served in times
of conflict” and opening ceremony by the State Vice President of the
Metropolitan RSL.
To discover more details of the servicemen named
on this memorial click on the heading Sutherland War Memorial,
then on to one on the names listed at the bottom of the page.
Biographies of these servicemen can be found in
SERVICE AND SACRIFICE, Sutherland
Shire Memorials 1914-1918, by
Marilyn Handley and Susanne Hewitt, 2015, available from Botany Bay Family
History Society, 02 9523 8948, P.O.Box 1006, Sutherland, NSW, 1499.
References
Service and Sacrifice, Sutherland Shire Memorials
1914-1918
http://monumentaustralia.org.au/display/22136-miranda-war-memorial
http://www.maritimequest.com
https://www.warmemorialsregister.nsw.gov.au/content/sutherland-memorial-wall