Lieutenant Lachlan CaskeyPrint Page

The tablet commemorates Lieutenant Lachlan Caskey who was killed in action during the South African (Boer) War.

The tablet was originally erected in the Leichhardt Street State School for boys. When the school closed the tablet was relocated to Cifton RSL rooms and is now in the museum. 

Lachlan John Caskey, a school teacher from nearby Spring Creek, was killed in South Africa aged 31, during the Boer War. His teacher friends at Leichhardt Street School in Brisbane prepared the special tablet.

A tablet erected in the Leichhardt-street (Boys') State School to the memory of the late Lieutenant Caskey was yesterday unveiled by Mr. J. G. Anderson, Under Secretary for Public Instruction. Mr Anderson, who arrived about 3.30 p.m., was received by Messrs. C. Abraham (chairman), F. Adams (secretary), C. Just (treasurer), and Schick (members of the school Committee), and by a guard of honour formed from the Cadets, under the command of Lieutenant Moorhouse. The mother and two sisters of the deceased officer were also present. The boys, the teachers and the Cadets filled the room in which the tablet had been placed.

Mr. J. E. Jones, the head teacher, in introducing Mr. Anderson, thanked him for paying the school the compliment of coming up, at considerable personal inconvenience, and uniting with them in doing honour to the memory of a very faithful and promising teacher, as well as a brave soldier. He also expressed his gratification at the presence of Mrs. Caskey and her daughters at the ceremony.

They were thus able to witness the esteem and affection felt towards the late Lieutenant Caskey by the teachers and pupils of the school, past and present, as expressed by the tablet before them. He also said a few words to the boys, pointing out the qualities of fidelity to duty which characterised their late teacher, quite as much at school as on the battlefield. He then asked Mr. Anderson to be kind enough to unveil the tablet.

Mr. Anderson stepped forward and drew back the Union Jack, and so exposed to view the tablet, and an excellent enlarged photo of Mr Caskey, taken in February last. Mr Schick then placed a handsome wreath of flowers on the photo. Mr. Anderson, addressing the children, spoke of Mr. Caskey as descended from a Scotch family, a race that had added according to its numbers perhaps, more names to the roll of those who had died for liberty and right than any other nation. He spoke of the very creditable career of Mr. Caskey as a teacher and of the bright future that had lain before him, yet, at the call of duty, he had left all to serve his country, and had sealed his devotion with his blood. He reminded the children that it was not necessary to go as far as South Africa to do their duty. Duty lay at our hand all the day long and the greatest heroes were some times those who bore unflinchingly and uncomplainingly the burdens of ordinary daily life. He expressed the deep sympathy he felt for Mrs. Caskey in her bereavement, and said that, though her son was dead, the good influence he had exerted on the boys under his charge would long remain.

The tablet is of white marble on a black marble ground, and is fixed to the wall. It is the work of Mr Simmons, monumental sculptor, Ann-street. It bears the following inscription -"In memory of Lachlan John Caskey, assistant teacher at this school during the years 1892-1901, officer-commanding the School Cadets from Feb., 1898 to Feb., 1901 and lieutenant in the Fifth Queensland Imperial Bushmen; killed in action in the Boer war at Makari Drift, Caledon River South Africa, 27th September, 1901 aged 31 years."
Brisbane Courier (Qld.), 13 December 1901.

Note: The Clifton Historical Museum is now closed. The whereabouts of the tablet is unknown. 

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