Roma War Memorial and Heroes Avenue

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War Memorial and Heroes Avenue
Roma War Memorial, 2010.jpg
Roma War Memorial, 2010
Location Bungil Street, Roma, Maranoa Region, Queensland, Australia
Coordinates 26°34′09″S148°47′19″E / 26.5692°S 148.7886°E / -26.5692; 148.7886 Coordinates: 26°34′09″S148°47′19″E / 26.5692°S 148.7886°E / -26.5692; 148.7886
Design period 1919 - 1930s (interwar period)
Built 1920
Official name: War Memorial and Heroes Avenue
Type state heritage (built, landscape)
Designated 21 October 1992
Reference no. 600824
Significant period 1920- (social)
1920,1938, 1983 (historical)
1920s-1930s (fabric)
Significant components tree groups - avenue of, memorial - plaque, park / green space, memorial - cenotaph, memorial - cairn, trees of social, historic or special significance, pathway/walkway, memorial - tree/avenue of trees
Australia Queensland location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of War Memorial and Heroes Avenue in Queensland

War Memorial and Heroes Avenue is a heritage-listed memorial at Bungil Street, Roma, Maranoa Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1920. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. [1]

Memorial object which serves as a focus for memory of something

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for the memory of something, usually a deceased person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains and parks.

Roma, Queensland Town in Queensland, Australia

Roma is a town, locality and the administrative centre in the Maranoa Region, Queensland, Australia. The town was incorporated in 1867 and is named after Lady Diamantina Bowen, the wife of Sir George Bowen, the Governor of Queensland at the time. At the 2016 census, Roma had a population of 6,848.

Maranoa Region Local government area in Queensland, Australia

Maranoa Region is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia. Roma is the administrative headquarter of the region.

Contents

History

The Roma War Memorial was completed in two stages; the avenues of trees followed by the cenotaph. [1]

Cenotaph "empty tomb" or monument erected in honor of a person whose remains are elsewhere

A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenotaphs honour individuals, many noted cenotaphs are instead dedicated to the memories of groups of individuals, such as the lost soldiers of a country or of an empire.

Memorial plaque to commemorate an individual World War I soldier, 2005 Memorial plaque to comemmorate the soldiers from World War I, Roma, 2005.tiff
Memorial plaque to commemorate an individual World War I soldier, 2005

The Heroes Avenue of 93 bottle trees (Brachychiton rupestris) was planted by 1920, with the first 27 trees planted on 20 September 1918, [2] and was the initial memorial to those killed in the First World War. Each tree originally bore a brass plaque stating the name of one of the 93 local men who fell during the First World War. Only one of these plaques survives, now on a cairn which was dedicated by the Roma RSL sub-branch on Remembrance Day, 1983. The cairn is located outside the Post Office near the corner of McDowell and Wyndham Streets. It also provides information regarding the rows of bottle trees and lists the 93 names originally displayed on the trees. Some of the original trees have been replaced and some have been removed to allow for increases in traffic. [1]

<i>Brachychiton rupestris</i> A tree in the family Malvaceae native to Queensland, Australia

Brachychiton rupestris, commonly known as the narrow-leaved bottle tree or Queensland bottle tree, is a tree in the family Malvaceae native to Queensland, Australia. Discovered and described by Sir Thomas Mitchell and John Lindley in 1848, it gained its name from its bulbous trunk, which can be up to 3.5 metres (11 ft) diameter at breast height (DBH). Reaching 10–25 metres (33–82 ft) high, the Queensland bottle tree is deciduous, losing its leaves between September and December. The leaves are simple or divided, with one or more narrow leaf blades up to 11 centimetres (4 in) long and 2 centimetres (0.8 in) wide. Cream-coloured flowers appear from September to November, and are followed by woody boat-shaped follicles that ripen from November to May. No subspecies are recognised.

Remembrance Day memorial day on 11 November

Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. Following a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919, the day is also marked by war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November in most countries to recall the end of hostilities of First World War on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month", in accordance with the armistice signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. The First World War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919.

The impetus for the Heroes Avenue began with the Mayor of Roma, Alderman Miscamble who had been impressed by avenues of memorial trees in southern states. The bottle tree was selected as it was a species commonly associated with Roma and it is thought that the first was planted in 1918 to commemorate the death of local soldier Lt Cpl Norman Saunders who was killed in France in 1916. [2] This is the tree located outside the Post Office and known locally as the Tree of Knowledge. Trees were planted to commemorate subsequent deaths and although the plaques have disappeared each tree still retains its association with a particular soldier. [1]

The Cenotaph is located in Queen's Park and was commissioned by the Local Repatriation Committee. It was unveiled on Anzac Day, 25 April 1938 by Colonel Sir Donald Cameron [3] [4] and honours the 93 local men who fell in the First World War (the same names that were originally recorded on the trees) and the 39 who fell in the Second World War. The erection of the cenotaph was delayed as the Committee's first priority was to provide for the welfare of returned soldiers. A memorial honour board had already been erected by the committee in the Town Hall. [1]

Anzac Day in Queensland

Anzac Day is a day of remembrance in Queensland, Australia. It is a public holiday held on 25 April each year. The date is significant as the Australian and New Zealand troops first landed at Gallipoli in World War I on 25 April 1915.

Planted behind the monument are nine pine trees which were grown from seeds allegedly collected at Lone Pine, Gallipoli. [1]

Gallipoli peninsula

The Gallipoli peninsula is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east.

The traditional ANZAC Day march moves from the Roma railway station to the cenotaph in Queen's Park. [1]

Australia, and Queensland in particular, had few civic monuments before the First World War. The memorials erected in its wake became our first national monuments, recording the devastating impact of the war on a young nation. Australia lost 60,000 from a population of about 4 million, representing one in five of those who served. No previous or subsequent war has made such an impact on the nation. [1]

Even before the end of the war, memorials became a spontaneous and highly visible expression of national grief. To those who erected them, they were as sacred as grave sites, substitute graves for the Australians whose bodies lay in battlefield cemeteries in Europe and the Middle East. British policy decreed that the Empire war dead were to be buried where they fell. The word "cenotaph", commonly applied to war memorials at the time, literally means "empty tomb". Australian war memorials are distinctive in that they commemorate not only the dead. Australians were proud that their first great national army, unlike other belligerent armies, was composed entirely of volunteers, men worthy of honour whether or not they paid the supreme sacrifice. Many memorials honour all who served from a locality, not just the dead, providing valuable evidence of community involvement in the war. Such evidence is not readily obtainable from military records, or from state or national listings, where names are categorised alphabetically or by military unit. [1]

Australian war memorials are also valuable evidence of imperial and national loyalties, at the time, not seen as conflicting; the skills of local stonemasons, metalworkers and architects; and of popular taste. In Queensland, the digger (soldier) statue was the popular choice of memorial, whereas the obelisk predominated in the southern states, possibly a reflection of Queensland's larger working-class population and a lesser involvement of architects. [1]

Many of the First World War monuments have been updated to record local involvement in later conflicts, and some have fallen victim to unsympathetic re-location and repair. [1]

Description

Heroes Avenue, 2010 Roma Heroes Avenue, 2010.jpg
Heroes Avenue, 2010

The First World War Memorial encompasses a large area and comprises the avenues of trees, the cairn and the cenotaph. [1]

The avenue of trees begins at the Roma railway stations, turns right into Wyndham Street and left into Bungil Street ending just after the intersection with Hawthorne Street. There are over 90 trees, all of which are bottle trees (Brachychiton rupestris). [1]

The cairn is located outside the Post Office and is a white painted concrete pillar with a large chamfer on the top corner. The chamfered face displays a bronze plaque with the names of the 93 local men who fell in the First World War. These names were originally located on plaques attached to each tree. [1]

The memorial located in Queen's Park comprises a cenotaph sitting on a slightly larger base, both of rock faced pale grey granite. The cenotaph has three leaded marble plaques which are recessed into the granite. The front face (facing Bungil Street) bears Laurence Binyon's ode "For the Fallen" with a bronze AIF badge above. The rear plaque bears the 93 names of the fallen with a bronze laurel wreath above. A later plaque has been added to the eastern side to commemorate the 39 local men who fell in the Second World War. [1]

The cenotaph is located in the centre of a paved area facing the end of the avenue of bottle trees. It is surrounded by a formal setting of kerbed paths and grassed areas. Encircling it is a semi-circle of nine pine trees which are allegedly grown from seeds collected from the Lone Pine at Gallipoli. [1]

Fallen soldiers

David Alexander Murphy, Lance Corporal 15th Battalion of Roma David Alexander Murphy Born 03-09-1894 d 26-09-1917 Polygon Wood Belgium - signed photo.jpg
David Alexander Murphy, Lance Corporal 15th Battalion of Roma

The fallen soldiers commemorated by the War Memorial and associated avenue of bottle trees include: [5]

Heritage listing

War Memorial and Heroes Avenue was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. [1]

The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.

War Memorials are important in demonstrating the pattern of Queensland's history as they are representative of a recurrent theme that involved most communities throughout the state. They provide evidence of an era of widespread Australian patriotism and nationalism, particularly during and following the First World War. [1]

The Roma avenue of trees was planted by 1920, and the "cenotaph" was erected in 1938. [1]

The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage.

Avenues of trees as memorials, and particularly those where each tree is attributed to a particular fallen serviceman are uncommon in Queensland. Most memorials erected during or after the First World War were of the monumental type. [1]

The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.

The monuments manifest a unique documentary record and are demonstrative of popular taste in the inter-war period. [1]

It demonstrates the principal characteristics of a commemorative structure erected as an enduring record of a major historical event. This is achieved through the use of appropriate materials and design elements [1]

The place is important because of its aesthetic significance.

The war memorial planting is arguably one of the most impressive in Queensland and is of aesthetic significance as a dominant landmark in the town. [1]

The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.

It has a strong and continuing association with the community as evidence of the impact of a major historic event and as the focal point for the remembrance of that event. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 "War Memorial and Heroes Avenue (entry 600824)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 "HEROES' AVENUE". Western Star And Roma Advertiser (4064). Queensland, Australia. 21 September 1918. p. 2. Retrieved 23 January 2017– via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ "Anzac Day—1938". Western Star And Roma Advertiser (6746). Queensland, Australia. 27 April 1938. p. 2. Retrieved 23 January 2017– via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ "ROMA'S NEW WAR MEMORIAL". The Telegraph . Queensland, Australia. 27 April 1938. p. 3 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved 23 January 2017– via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ Roma and District's Heroes Avenue. Family History Society Roma Queensland.
  6. ↑ "Military Service Record for NM Crawford". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "Military Service Record for JH Frederick". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "Military Service Record for DA Murphy". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 6 April 2016.

Attribution

CC-BY-icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article was originally based on "The Queensland heritage register" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were originally computed from the "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014).

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