Lieutenant Alexander ForrestPrint Page

The brass plaque commemorates Lieutenant Alexander Anthony Forrest who was killed in action at Carolina, East Transvaal in 1901 in the South African (Boer) War. The plaque was erected by his high school friends. Alexander was 16 when he was killed.

It was unveiled on the South Transept of the Cathedral on the 1st March 1908 by Sir John Forrest who was Minister of Defence at the time of the Boer War.

The voluntary church parade of the metropolitan troops and cadets, which was held on Sunday, was largely attended. The official figures supplied of those present being 40 officers and 489 men. The muster included representatives from No. I Squadron 18th A.L.H., No. 1 Battery A.F.A., No. 2 Company of Garrison Artillery, the 11th Australian Infantry Regiment, W.A. Infantry Regiment, Australian Army Medical Corps, Australian Army Service Corps, and Corps-of Signallers. The parade was especially called in connection with the unveiling of memorials to the late Colonel Ricardo, C.B., late Commandant of Western Australia, and the late Lieutenant A. A. Forrest, in St. George's Cathedral.

Bishop Riley conducted the service said the late Lieutenant Forrest, of whom it was more difficult to speak, because, as they knew, he was only a boy when he went to fight for his country and met his death on the battlefield. Those who were with him in Africa, his comrades, thought he would have made a splendid officer if he had only lived, but he gave up his life for the sake of his country when only a lad and he could not have done more. Continuing, Bishop Riley said he would ask the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Edward Stone, to unveil the memorial brass to the late Colonel Ricardo, and Sir John Forrest, who was Minister for Defence at the time of the war, to unveil the memorial to the late Lieutenant Forrest.
Western Mail (Perth), 7th March 1908.

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