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Reginald BarryPrint Page Print this page

(Diane Watson)
(Diane Watson)

Photographs supplied by Diane Watson / Glen Yeomans / Henry Moulds

The monument erected by townspeople commemorates Reginald Barry who died trying to save the people in Tambo stricken with influenza.

Reginald Sylvester Barry was a manager of Tambo Station for its owners, the Turnbull family. He was community minded as well as being a member of the Tambo Shire Council. In 1919, Tambo was hit by a strain of deadly influenza which was sweeping Australia. Barry, although a young man, had lost his wife and two of his three children a year earlier.

During the epidemic, he threw himself into helping those infected by the deadly influenza germs. Finally just as the disease was beginning to abate in Tambo, Reg Barry caught the influenza himself and died. The citizens of Tambo erected the monument in his honour. 

ROCKHAMPTON, June. 18. 
The death has occurred at Tambo of Mr. Reginald Barry, manager of Tambo station, and formerly manager of Bayrick station. His wife predeceased him by 18 months. Mr. Barry was truly a martyr in the cause of humanity. When the influenza broke out in Tambo, he placed himself at the hospital's disposal and day and night he worked with his car removing patients. He was frequently inoculated.
Telegraph (Brisbane), 18 June 1919.

Location

Address:Landsborough Highway, Outside Caltex Service Station, Tambo, 4478
State:QLD
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -24.881667
Long: 146.258056
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Tragedy
Actual Event Start Date:17-June-1919
Actual Event End Date:17-June-1919

Dedication

Approx. Monument Dedication Date:January-1920
Front Inscription

To the memory of Reginald Sylvester Barry
(Late manager of Tambo Station)

Born 31st December 1885
Died 17th June 1919.

He worked unceasingly to save those people in Tambo stricken with pneumonic influenza and at the end of the epidemic contracted the disease himself and died.  

"Greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life for his friends." 

Erected by the residents of Tambo and District

January 1920.

Barry

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au