Backward Glance: War Memorials on the Sunshine Coast

Today’s Backward Glance steps back in time to commemorate those who were lost in distant battles and to those who bravely enlisted to fight for their country.

After World War I Australians wanted to remember their loved ones lost to war and those who had enlisted.

In 1916 and 1917 there was unrelenting horror and fighting and Australia suffered huge losses.

Australians experienced 5500 casualties at Fromelles on July 19-20, 1916 which was described as the worst day ever in Australian war history.

Large memorials were created in every state capital throughout Australia to honour all who had fought.

Townships and settlements have expanded through time but the stone column or soldier, the park memorial gates and honour boards remain an enduring part of Australia’s cultural landscape.

Monuments, memorials, honour boards, gates and cairns large and small are scattered throughout the Sunshine Coast.

They reflect the values of communities and memories of towns and their heartbreak.

Today they are there to honour all who have served.

The modern memorial now includes campaigns such as World War II, Korea, Vietnam, East Timor and the recent Middle East campaigns.

Six trees were planted in Montville by the children from Montville State School in 1923.

Each of these trees bears a plaque naming one of six soldiers lost during WWI.

A similar tree lined avenue can be seen in Eumundi and Beerburrum.

Caloundra has a memorial walkway looking out to sea for all service personnel while Maleny has a Soldiers Memorial Hospital built from timber used in the old Beerburrum Soldier Settlement Hospital.

The grief of a family can be seen at Cooloolabin where two sons were never to return to Australian shores.

The Cooloolabin Plaque is inscribed 'In Loving Memory of 2nd Lieut. W Fraser, Royal Flying Corps. Killed in action on October 25, 1916, aged 27 years. Pte J Fraser, 52nd Battalion. AIF Killed in action on August 12, 1918, aged 27 years. Noble lives nobly sacrificed. Erected by residents of Cooloolabin.’

John and William were the sons of John and Janet Fraser (nee Grigor), the first European settlers in Cooloolabin.

John Fraser Senior donated land on which the Cooloolabin Hall was built in 1916.

Gheerulla Honour Board was made of hammered copper of an ornamental design with a silky oak background.

It was erected in the hall by the residents of the Kenilworth District to honour those from the locality who had volunteered for service and those who had paid the supreme sacrifice in World War I.

The Honour Board was unveiled by HF Walker at a ceremony held in the hall on the February 23, 1918.

Eumundi Memorial School of Arts’ original honour board was unveiled in the Eumundi School of Arts, Memorial Drive, on July 13, 1917 by J Forsyth.

Anzac Avenue, Beerburrum Memorial Trees were state heritage listed on October 16, 1988.

The Landsborough Peace Memorial gates can be seen just past Landsborough on the way to Maleny.

The land for Landsborough Peace Memorial Park, was donated by Arthur Bennett in 1919 and in 1922 the site was officially opened as the Landsborough Peace Memorial Park.

In the minutes of Landsborough Shire Council, it was noted that on October 26, 1922 the Shire Clerk, Herb Layt was to obtain designs for the iron gates to be erected at the park's entrance. The gates were built by Walter Lord.

A formal entrance comprising concrete posts and metal gates was erected and inscribed LPMP (Landsborough Peace Memorial Park). The Landsborough Peace Memorial Park was the response by local residents to the loss and suffering experienced by the community as a result of WWI.

Marble plaques mounted on the front pillars of Montville Memorial Gates record the names of members of the Montville district who enlisted during World War 1, those who fell and those who were not accepted for service.

Buderim War Memorial Gates were officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Brisbane on May 7, 1932.

Both the gates and the fence were taken down before World War II.

The memorial erected in Coronation Avenue, Nambour in 1927 was designed by Arthur Henry Brookes a Maroochy Shire Councillor 1904-1931.

The cenotaph was officially unveiled by Major-General Spencer Browne on April 25, 1928.

It was designed in the form of an Egyptian Obelisk (a rectangular tapering column with a pyramid at the top) and embodies the respect and protection given to those buried under this ancient sacred symbol.

During construction, the names of those who had enlisted from the Maroochy Shire were recorded on parchment, sealed in a cylinder and placed inside the column behind an inscribed marble slab.

Later, an inscription was added to the slab in memory of ex-service personnel who fought in the Second World War.

Cotton Tree memorial features four vertical 'wings', each dedicated to one of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Merchant Navy.

It was designed by Sub-Branch member Hugh Anderson and unveiled by Commodore Sir James Ramsay on March 16, 1986.

The memorial replaced a small stone cairn which the Maroochydore RSL Sub-Branch had erected in Memorial Park on The Esplanade in 1961.

In 2003, the winged memorial underwent major repairs.

It was dramatically refurbished in 2006 and unveiled on 20 September 2006 by Brigadier Doug Formby, President of the RSL Queensland.

The memorial for 2/14 Australian Infantry Battalion Memorial, Yandina features an inscribed commemorative plaque, erected in 1995 to honour the Battalion members who were killed in action in World War II.

The 2/14 Australian Infantry Battalion was formed in Victoria in April 1940 and was later joined by many Queenslanders.

From May 11, 1942 to August 5, 1942 the battalion were stationed at Yandina and trained over a wide area from the Blackall Ranges to the Coast.

The battalion embarked at Brisbane for the Papuan Campaign. Between August 16, 1942 and January 15, 1943 the battalion fought on the Kokoda Track and at Gona. A total of 166 members of the battalion were killed during the campaign.

The memorial plaque is located at the southern base of Mt Ninderry, overlooking the battalion's former Yandina campsite.

It was unveiled during a ceremony held to mark the 50th anniversary of the battalion's New Guinea Campaigns.

Remembering memorials and what they depict provides the Sunshine Coast community with a cultural understanding in a familiar landscape and identifies what our early communities experienced and endured.

Thanks to Sunshine Coast Council’s Heritage Library Officers for the words and Picture Sunshine Coast for the images.

Image captions:

Hero image: Anzac Day service at the War Memorial, Yandina, 1940s. The sandstone and granite memorial was unveiled by Senator Major General Sir William Glasgow on June 7, 1924.

Carousel image captions:

Image 1: Buderim War Memorial gate, King Street, Buderim.

Image 2- Montville Hall and Memorial Gates, Memorial Close, Montville, ca 1990.

Image 3: Charlotte Cogill unveiling a Memorial Cairn in Flaxton Drive, Mapleton on March 14 1958.