Gladstone Public School Roll of HonourPrint Page

The honour roll commemorates former students of the school who served in World War One. The roll was presented to the school by the Gladstone Orchestra and was originally intended to be unveiled in 1920. 

As long ago as May last the Gladstone Orchestra raised some funds (namely £15) to purchase a Roll of Honor for the primary school. The money was inadequate but it was thought that another concert would be sufficient to raise the balance. Meanwhile a design was chosen and a fine specimen of the coppersmith's art is the Roll of Honor and on it, on brass plates, are the names of 84 old scholars of the Primary School.  The size of the Roll on the blackwood mounting is four feet by three. The design is a shield on top supportedby two olive branches, having the numbers 1914 and 1919 on each side. Under the words "Roll of Honor" is the dedication plate which reads "Presented to the Gladstone Public School by the Gladstone Orchestra."

This is between the Union Jack and the Australian Flag surmounting a scrolled shield. On each side of the names is a conventional arrangement of olive leaves and berries. Under the names is a conventionalised design of lily and leaves. The whole is shielded and looks very effective. Each name is sunk into a brass plate in black lettering and fixed on with brass nails. The ceremony of unveiling should have been performed by the Hon. the Premier on Nov. 26, 1920, and again later, but each time it had to be postponed and in the end important business connected with the Wheat Scheme called him to Melbourne. However, the Minister of Education (Hon. G. Ritchie) accompanied by Mr K.D. Nicholls, M.P.,  arrived on Friday afternoon to perform the ceremony. 
Excerpt from Areas' Express (Booyoolee, SA), 25 February 1921.

GLADSTONE, February 21.— The town hall was crowded on Friday evening to witness the unveiling of the public school honor roll. The mayor (Mr. R. E. Lines) presided. An excellent programme was gone through. The chairman of the school committee (Mr. C. Budge), in introducing the Minister of Education (Hon. G. Ritchie), referred to the work done by the Gladstone Orchestra in securing funds. On behalf of the town and district he asked the Minister to perform the unveiling ceremony.

The Minister referred to the splendid work done by Australian soldiers at the front and pointed out all that it meant to the Empire and to civilisation. At every place at which they had fought they had set an example to the whole world. It was  fitting that the names of the old scholars who had fought should be kept on record in the school to be read by future generations. The "Unknown Warrior" who had been buried in Westminster Abbey might have been a Gladstone boy. The honor roll was unveiled and placed in charge of the head school teacher, Mr. Kummick. Mr. Nicholls, M.P., also spoke.
Chronicle (Adelaide, SA), 26 February 1921.

 

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