Memorial milestones

By Heather Lee, Honorary Secretary, Austinmer Thirroul RSL Sub Branch

Austinmer Thirroul RSL Sub-Branch is celebrating the following milestones:

101 years since the Cenotaph at Thirroul was unveiled on 25 April 1920 and;

100 years since the Cenotaph at Austinmer was unveiled on 26 January 1922.

101 Year Anniversary of Thirroul Memorial

Due to restrictions on community gatherings it was not possible to conduct a service at Thirroul on Anzac Day 2020 where all could be reminded of the milestone and sacrifice of many whose names are on the memorial. Restrictions were still in place on Anzac Day 2021 as well.

The Thirroul memorial was erected in 1919 on the corner of Lawrence Hargrave Drive and Railway Parade and is considered the oldest First World War monument in the Illawarra. Its foundation stone was laid on 18 October 1919 by Mrs Arnold Higgins. The official unveiling was performed by Mrs “Grannie” Riach on Anzac Day, 25 April 1920.

The figure of the soldier was originally white but became discoloured over the years. When the custodians discovered they could not scrub it clean, they decided to paint the uniform in the khaki colour used in the desert during the war.

In 1978, the memorial was hit and damaged by a truck. It was repaired, although the fountains ceased to function, and moved to outside the Thirroul RSL. It was again moved a short distance to its present position in 1996.

The area around the memorial was landscaped by unemployed youths who laid out paths and set out gardens.

Our volunteer members still maintain the gardens and surrounds to the highest standards.

100 Year Anniversary of Austinmer War Memorial

The Austinmer War Memorial is a stone obelisk, bearing inscriptions and an honour roll in gilt lettering. Originally dedicated to those who served in the First World War, inscriptions and names for the Second World War and other conflicts have since been added to the sides of the obelisk.

The unveiling ceremony of the Austinmer Soldiers’ Memorial was carried out on Thursday of last week, under ideal weather conditions before a gathering of about 500 people. The beach presented a pleasing spectacle and flags were flown in abundance in honour of the occasion. Mr. George Cram, president of the Memorial Committee outlined the history of the memorial movement, which started 12 months ago. M. Cram then called upon Mrs. S Cheadle to unveil the memorial, and, amidst profound silence the Union Jack fell from the memorial. – Illawarra Mercury (Wollongong, NSW), 3 February 1922.

Descendants of Mrs Cheadle have been and still are active members of our Sub-Branch.

In 2019 Wollongong City Council conducted a major refurbishment around the memorial. The work was completed in time for the Anzac Day Service. The project at Austinmer Beach included a new level paved area for ceremonies and the construction of an accessible pathway between Lawrence Hargrave Drive and the memorial.

Find contact details for the sub-branch at www.rslnsw.org.au