Unveiling the Mt Lawley and Inglewood War Memorial

There are many articles and advertisements in the press around the early 1920s advertising fetes, raffles and other money-raising activities to raise funds for the proposed Mt Lawley/Inglewood War Memorial to those who fell in the Great War. But the Memorial that we see today was unveiled in 1924. The Daily News of Saturday 29 November 1924 had a full report of what was planned for the unveiling of the Memorial the next day:

The memorial erected by the residents of Mt Lawley and Inglewood to the memory of those who fell in the late war will be unveiled tomorrow (sic) (Sunday) by the Governor (Sir William Campion, K.C.M.G.), at 3.25, and will be dedicated by the Chaplain-General of the Forces (Archbishop Riley). On the platform will be the chairman of the Perth Road Board (Mr.E.W. Hamer), representing the district; Mr. R.T. Robinson, K.C.; Mr. McCallum Smith M.L.A. and the chairman of the memorial committee (Mr.J. Orr).

The guard of honor will be supplied by the 28th Battalion, under the command of Captain Ryder, and Boy Scouts (with Scoutmaster Holland) will attend to the draping of the memorial. The 28th Battalion Band (conducted by Sergeant L.M.Price) will render selections, and, with the assistance of a choir from the Mt. Lawley school (under the direction of Miss Winnie Broadley) will lead in the singing. The “Last Post” will be sounded by Sergeant R. Morgan. The souvenir programme contains the names of the fallen as appearing on the tablet, and will be a souvenir worthy of the occasion. On the front page there will be a photograph of the memorial.

The site of the memorial is in Lawley-crescent, adjoining the Mt. Lawley Bowling Club grounds, and it is interesting to note that it has been constructed throughout with Western Australian material. The memorial itself is of selected Donnybrook freestone, and takes the form of a Gothic column, surmounted by a cross in keeping with the design, the monument being a splendid example of the true Gothic style. The height is 36ft. 6in. The base and foundation are of concrete carried down to the natural surface. The bronze tablet is the work of Mr. C.P. Wilson, of Murray-street. Messrs. Eales and Cohen, the well-known architects, are to the congratulated on their design, while the contractors (the Returned Soldiers’ Monumental Works, Messrs. Wales and Gillies), deserve the greatest credit for the excellence of their work. The residents have a memorial of which they should be justly proud, the cost of which is approximately £900.

The Western Mail on Thursday 4th December, 1924, published photographs of the unveiling of the Memorial the previous Sunday (see above).