Tingalpa War MemorialPrint Page

The monument was originally erected in 1919 by the residents of Tingalpa to commemorate those who enlisted in World War One. The monument featuring a 'digger' statue was later damaged in a traffic accident and repaired and unveiled by Major Dowden on ANZAC Day 1939. A plaque was added at a later date to commemorate the men and women who served in World War Two.

The war memorial at Tingalpa, eight miles from the city on the way to Wynnum, was wrecked on the 2nd June 1937 when struck by a taxi-cab. The memorial was 16ft. high and stood at the junction of Wynnum and Manly roads. The figure of a soldier crashed on to the bonnet of the car, and was smashed to pieces.
Queensland Times, 3rd June 1937.

On a recommendation from the town planning and health committee the City Council were asked on the 14th September 1937 to approve of the Tingalpa war memorial, broken in two traffic accidents recently, being re-erected on the old site on the main Wynnum-road. This is strongly advocated by returned soldiers, but the council has received a petition from a number of residents, suggesting that the memorial should be re-erected at the entrance to Kianawah Park, nearby. The petition stated that the old site had a bad swinging curve towards Wynnum. The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland, favours this suggestion and says the recent accident should be sufficient warrant for its reerection in a more suitable spot. On behalf of returned soldiers, several letters have been sent to the council protesting against the memorial being erected on a new site. One letter, signed by 10 returned men, states: 'Should our protest be disregarded we desire our names to be obliterated from the table of names on the memorial."
The Courier Mail, 11th September 1937

Residents of Tingalpa and member of the Wynnum Sub-branch of the R.S.S.I.L.A. today attended the unveiling of the new Tingalpa Memorial at the junction of the Wynnum and Cleveland roads. It was erected by the residents of Tingalpa in recognition of the services of those who enlisted from the district, in the Great War. Major R. J. Dowden, Australian Staff Corps, unveiled the monument, and Mr. W. L. Dart, M. L.A., Alderman S Green, the Rev. C. T. Palethorpe, Methodist minister,  and Mr. A. T. Kimlin, president of the sub-branch of the R.S.S.I.L.A., were present. Before unveiling the memorial, Major Dowden remarked that it was a happy and unique circumstance that all the men whose names appeared on the monument had returned. Major Dowden stated that the fact that Australia was now training men did not mean that she was looking for war. When they consider what happened when nations attempted to disarm, they realised that to disarm was not a way to peace.  If war was forced upon them they would have to face it, he said. At the commencement of the ceremony a wreath was placed on the memorial by a member of the sub-branch, and at the conclusion of Maior Dowden's address the monument was unveiled to the sound of the "Last Post," while onlookers stood with bared heads. 
The Telegraph (Brisbane), 25 April 1939. 

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