War Horse MemorialPrint Page

The water trough commemorates the horses which took part in World War One.  It is made of Harcourt Victorian granite and weighs 8 tons and is 16 feet in length.   The amount raised by public donations was £248 14s 9d and the money left after construction was donated to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

It was originally in Victoria Square West, but later shifted to corner of East Terrace and Botanic Road. Australian soldiers had a great regard and affection for their horses, and were upset that at the end of the war, cost and quarantine concerns meant that horses could not be brought back to Australia.

Some were sold or transferred to other armies, but a number had to be destroyed. 39,347 horses did not return from the World War One, and only one horse came back.

At last arrangements have been completed in connection with the War Horse Memorial, and about £250 has been subscribed by horse-lovers towards perpetuating the memory of their four-footed comrades of the great war. The Lord Mayor (Ald. F. B. Moulden) is calling a meeting to be held in the Reception Room of the Adelaide Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon, when arrangements in connection with the proposed horse-trough will be discussed. It has been suggested that a horse-trough, is the best medium of remembrance, as it will be erected for horses and used by horses.
The Register (Adelaide), 30 July 1921.

Location

Details

Dedication