Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The proposal to erect a memorial originated on 13 December 1920 from the Junee Reefs School Parents & Citizens Association, led by Mr C W Middlebrook, longstanding headmaster; Mr M J Nash, president of the association; Mr A E Harris, secretary of the association; and district residents to honour the servicemen who had attended the school and paid the supreme sacrifice in the First World War.

Money was collected within the district by voluntary subscriptions. The district was canvassed for donations to erect the memorial. It was erected by Turner and Sons in the Junee Reefs school grounds, crown land, approximately 300 metres west of its present hall site. The contract price was £200.

When the school closed in 1945 the Lands Department wanted to dispose of the site. The Department suggested that Illabo Shire Council become trustees of the memorial and remove it, to which the council considered the wishes of the district. Alternative suggestions were that the memorial be presented to the Junee RSL or the Ex-Services Memorial Club. The people of Junee Reefs called a community meeting at which it was decided to keep the memorial.

A decision was made in 1947 that this memorial in the school grounds be placed under the care of the hall committee. The motion to move the monument down to the hall occurred at this time and was defeated.

In January 2006, Gladys and Robert Bak from the Integrated Servicepeople’s Association of Australia (Inc) approached the community with a view of providing assistance to have the memorial restored to a better condition and have the gold lettering enhanced. The Association held an interest in military history and with the philosophy of ‘keeping the spirit alive’ considered that the memorial at Junee Reefs needed to be maintained and kept for heritage purposes as a tribute to the fallen from the district of Junee Reefs. This would be appreciated by the current families living in the area, their future generations, the veteran community and perhaps the odd visitor to the area.

At the Junee Reefs Hall Committee annual general meeting on Wednesday, 15 February 2006, it was decided the upgrade of the memorial would proceed and it was suggested that the memorial be moved to the hall grounds. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs was contacted requesting approval and asking for a grant application assisting with this project. To be successful the proposed submission needed to show the support of the community and the local Junee Shire Council.

In 2007 the Junee Reefs Hall Committee decided to move the War Memorial from its lone position to take pride of place in front of the Junee Reefs–Ivor Hall. This was undertaken with the assistance of the Integrated Service People’s Association of Australia.

Grants were received from the DVA to restore the monument and have lettering regilded, but relocation was not funded. Monies for this came from donations from local residents, various businesses and families of soldiers named on the monuments. The soldier statue was removed by crane and taken to Wagga Wagga to be cleaned and restored, and the lettering to be updated. The pedestal, laying on bales of hay on the back of a truck, was transported to its present-day site.

Work commenced in 2007 when the community residents needed to clear area around memorial, check foundation base and remove fencing. At the same time a concrete slab needed to be prepared in the new location at the all grounds before the uplift and relocation of the memorial. A new flagpole was also erected at the new site.