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Perth Modern School War MemorialPrint Page Print this page

11-February-2020 (Bob Johnson)
11-February-2020 (Bob Johnson)

Photographs supplied by Bryan Hardy / Bob Johnson

The memorial surmounted by the school crest in bronze, a Sphinx, and bearing at its base a sundial stands in the grounds of the Perth Modern School commemorates former students who died in service or were killed in action in World War One.  It was erected by funds subscibed by students and ex-students of the school.

When the memorial was being designed in 1921 there was considerable discussion over a German student who attended the school  in 1911 when his father was the German Consul for Western Australia.  The family returned to Germany in 1914 and the son was called up and killed on the Western Front.  One side of the discussion was along the lines of “The memorial is to honour the names of former students who died serving their country” which would have been 25 names and a fair bit of controversy.  The other side was “died in their service to Australia”.  That side carried the day which is why there are only 24 names on the memorial.  

This afternoon a war memorial will be unveiled at the Perth Modern School. The cenotaph is constructed of granite from the Mahogany Creek Quarries, and Mr. C. W. Arnott was responsible for the preparation of the granite and its erection. The bronze sphinx and wreaths were executed by Mr. Marriott, of Melbourne The enlistment board is made from local timbers, the exterior framework and carving being of jarrah, while the panels, bearing the 148 names are of swamp banksia. Messrs. Sandover and Co. were responsible for the making of the board, while the carving was done by Mr. Madeley. Both the cenotaph and the enlistment board were designed by the committee's hon. architect. Mr. W. B. Hardwick, F.R.V.I.A. The ceremony will be performed by His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, Sir Robert McMillan, at 3.15 pm.
Sunday Times (Perth, WA), 22 October 1922.

The Perth Modern School Museum Association Inc received a grant from the Department of Veterans` Affairs to refurbish the memorial and its 24 names in 2019 and to add a plinth with the names of the five former students who died as a result of their service and whose deaths became known after the memorial was built in 1922.  

The Department of Veterans` Affairs also assisted with creating a digital honour board (see Web Hyperlink below) which contains the names of the 152 former students who died as a result of their service in World War One (29) , World War Two (119), the Malayan Emergency (1) and the Vietnam War (3).  

Location

Address:Roberts Road, Perth Modern School , Subiaco, 6008
State:WA
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -31.944751
Long: 115.838081
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
View Google Map

Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:WW1
Actual Event Start Date:04-August-1914
Actual Event End Date:28-June-1919
Designer:W. B. Hardwick (architect) Mr Marriott (sphinx)
Monument Manufacturer:C. W. Arnott
Link:https://honour.perthmodern.wa.edu.a…

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Sunday 22nd October, 1922
Front Inscription

Old boys of the School who fell in the Great War 1914 - 1918

Clarence Arnold Manuel
Ivor Bevan Rhys
George Hetherington Milner
Isadore Steinberg
Leslie Harold Medbury
John Regan
Henry Howard Mitchell
Albion Colin Wilson
Noel George Sainsbury
David Walter Stewart
Gladstone John Royce
Louis Frederick Bromham

Plinth :

On this memorial are recorded names of five additional alumni of Perth Modern School who died as a result of their military service to Australia during the Great War 1914 - 1918

Arthur Bacon
Douglas Roy Chidgzey
Ernest Daniel Timmings
Frank Benjamin Williamson
Henry William Wulff
 

 

Left Side Inscription

France

Flanders

Gallipoli

Palestine

 

Back Inscription

Old boys of the School who fell in the Great War 1914 - 1918

John Shaw Anderson
James Boland
Leslie Blechynden
Douglas Firns
Marshall Trigellis Fox
James Gibson
Thomas Carson Harvey
George Hall
Charles Thomas Johnson
Claude Ladyman
Herbert George Liddington
Leslie Andrew Little

 

Right Side Inscription

For King and Empire.

Their names graven on memorial columns are a song heard in the future.

Source: MA,SKP
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au