Cambridge Street State School No 1895 War MemorialPrint Page

The flagpole commemorates those who served in World War One. The brass plaque which was originally unveiled on the flagpole is missing. 

On Saturday afternoon a number of present scholars, parents and friends attended the unveiling ceremony of the flag-mast soldiers' memorial at the Cambridge-street central school, Collingwood. Although the school committee had in 1918 erected a six-foot blackwood honor board in memory of the 450 old scholars who served in the great war, it was felt  that more should he done. With £85 surplus from the honor board collection, which had been accruing interest since 1918, the balance of the cost of the terrazzo flag mast (£140) was supplied from the school funds. The mast is set in a concrete base 12 feet square, with steps to a smaller square, upon one aide, of which a brass plate bears the inscription, "To keep alive the memory of the scholars of this school who served in the great war." 

Mr. L. V. Worle (president of the Collingwood branch of the R.S.S.I.L.A.) urged that more practical sympathy be shown towards the returned men. Brigadier-General J. K. Forsyth, who commanded the 2nd Infantry and the 4th Light Horse brigades of the A.I.F., performed the unveiling ceremony. He briefly recounted the part Australia had played in the war. One in every 150 of the whole population had enlisted, he said, and of this number every fourth man had been killed. Referring to the transporting of the first Australian division, comprising 30,000 men and 10,000 horses, in 33 ships, the speaker said that such a feat had never been paralleled. He did not say this boastfully, but with the chastened pride and manly love we all bore for our Empire. He told the boys and girls a poignant war story about a father and his 22-year old son who served in the same platoon of his brigade. They went into action at Fleurbaix one night. The son was found next morning killed outright with a shell wound in the kidneys. Looking around for the father, he (the speaker) saw him silently and grimly, with a pick in his hand, preparing the grave. He went up to him and put his hand on his shoulder, but was unable to say a word. The father looked up, stood at attention with the pick, and said steadily, "We have got to carry on, sir," and drove in his pick.

 After the mast had been unveiled the Union Jack was run up half-mast, and the sounding of the Last Post and the singing of the National Anthem concluded an inspiring and impressive ceremony. 
Age (Melbourne),  27 August 1928.

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