Shire of Eltham War MemorialPrint Page
The tower commemorates the local men who died in service or were killed in action in World Wars One and Two. It was originally erected to commemorate those who died in service or were killed in action in World War One.
It is a brick, basalt stone and reinforced concrete tower, sixteen metres high with a large bronze tablet above the doorway listing 79 names from World War One and 28 from World War Two.
In 1919, Ruby and Robert White donated land to the Shire of Eltham to create the Kangaroo Ground War Memorial Tower in memory of the soldiers killed in the Battle of Bullecourt, France, including Ruby’s brother Harold.
It was unveiled in 1926 by the Governor-General Lord Stonehaven. Architects Arthur Stephenson and Percy Meldrum designed the tower in the style of a Scottish watch-tower recognising Kangaroo Ground’s early Scottish settlers.
It was built by George Rousell from stone quarried from Dr Ethel Osborne’s property in Kangaroo Ground. New interpretive signage was installed on the site in 2015 with funding from the Australian Government’s Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program.
Location
Address: | 385 Eltham - Yarra Glen Road, Eltham War Memorial Park, Kangaroo Ground, 3097 |
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State: | VIC |
Area: | AUS |
GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.688564 Long: 145.224714 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
Monument Type: | Structure |
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Monument Theme: | Conflict |
Sub-Theme: | Multiple |
Designer: | Stephens & Meldrum (architects) |
Monument Manufacturer: | George Rousell (builder) |
Dedication
Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Thursday 11th November, 1926 |
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SHIRE OF ELTHAM
WAR MEMORIAL
These Men Died For Their Country.
1914 In Remembrance This Tower Was Built 1918
[ Names ]
1939
[ Names ]
KOREA
1950 1953
BORNEO
1962 1966
LEST WE FORGET
1945
[ Names ]
MALAYA
1948 1960
VIETNAM
1962 1973
LEST WE FORGET
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
KANGAROO GROUND
TOWER OF REMEMBRANCE
The Kangaroo Ground Memorial Park opened in 1921, and the Tower of Remembrance was unveiled in 1926 in honour of all those of the district who fought and died in the First World War 1914 - 18. It was built from local sandstone and based on the design of a Scottish watchtower. The local community also planted rosemary and a pine sapling from Gallipoli around the foot of the tower.
Australian Imperial Force
Missing
TRAGEDY AND SORROW