Kew War MemorialPrint Page

A monument commemorates local residents who served in World War One. 

The Mayor (Cr Harry W. Tompkins, an architect) submitted a design for the proposed Memorial, and it was decided that an estimate of the cost be obtained. It was then decided to hold a competition for the design of the War Memorial. The estimated cost was not to be more than £3500. Prizes offered were £50, £15 and £10, with the proviso that the Council was not bound to accept any design.

The results were announced in July 1921 with the first prize won by F. Bruce Kemp, and the second by Stephenson and Meldrum. Although Mr Kemp was commissioned by the Council to prepare working drawings, specifications and detail drawings suitable for calling tenders for construction, the Council later decided to reject the Kemp design and to construct the Memorial according to the original design of the former Mayor, H.W. Tompkins. Mr Tompkins had since resigned from the Council and offered to supervise the construction without fee. The Council funded the construction by the sale of some unused land.

Monument characteristics :

A grey granite rotunda within which there is a granite obelisk.

The soldiers' memorial at Kew was unveiled yesterday by the State Governor, who was accompanied by the Countess of Stradbroke. There were about 5000 present. The memorial has been erected by the ratepayers of Kew in honor of their fellow-citizens who served and to the memory of those who fell in the great war.  It is located in front of the post office at Kew, at the intersection of the two main thoroughfares, and consists of a circular colonade of eight polished granite columns of the Ionic order, supporting a flat dome, with a frieze and cornice in the classic style. In the centre is a granite four-square block, with four tiled panels. One bears the dedicating inscription,-"To the Honor of the Living and the Glory of the Dead."  A second bears the names of 163 soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice, and the other two the names of the 753 Kew soldiers who served. On the frieze above the columns the names of places associated with the war. The memorial was designed by Mr. H. W. Tompkins, F.R.V.I.A., in 1920, and at that time he was mayor of Kew. The contractors were Messrs. A. and G. Ballantyne. 
Age (Melbourne), 31 August 1925.

Location

Details

Dedication