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Arthur Brooks  : 11-August-2012
Arthur Brooks : 11-August-2012

Photographs supplied by Graeme Saunders

A fountain commemorates Arthur Brooks, a local estate agent,  who promoted an annual Empire Day festival which became a popular show for Melbourne people for many years with bands, processions, a bonfire and fireworks.

Representatives of the Federal and State houses, and the mayors of Camberwell and Box Hill, were present in the Surrey Gardens, Union-road, Surrey Hills, last Saturday, when a drinking fountain to the memory of the late Arthur Brooks, founder of the Empire Day movement, was unveiled.  This fountain was the fourth part of a scheme in which the Surrey Hills District Progress Association formed at the end of the war, when they undertook to erect a South African memorial, an honor roll and shrine, a cross of sacrifice and a drinking fountain. The fountain was unveiled by Mr. Sneddon, J.p., who was attended by the president of the progress association, Mr. A.F. Darby, and the secretary, Mr. J. G. Woodhead. Mr. Sneddon was associated with Arthur Brooks at the founding of the association, some forty years ago, and spoke warmly of the work of "Empire" Brooks, for what he was called, and of his hopes that bounds of Empire would continue to increase. Mr. Sneddon then removed the unveiling flag and slipped into place a tablet, with the simple inscription: "Arthur Brooks. Empire Day, 1930."
Age (Melbourne), 2 June 1930.

Location

Address:Union Road, Surrey Gardens, Surrey Hills, 3127
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -37.826964
Long: 145.096967
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Fountain
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Community

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Saturday 24th May, 1930
Front Inscription

ARTHUR BROOKS
   EMPIRE DAY
       1930

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