Southwest Corner of Eric Sutton Reserve. A grey granite rough-cut monument comprising a Cross of Sacrifice mounted on a pedestal, a sur-base and a concrete slab. Bronze plaques are affixed to the base of the cross and to the sur-base. The pedestal face is polished; all details are in black.
Rosewater Women’s Memorial Garden
In the aftermath of the Gallipoli Campaign and the focus of the European conflict, ship loads of the disabled, disfigured and deranged soon began to arrive back home. About one in four of the Rosewater overseas enlistees never came back at all. Even after the guns fell silent, some of those had returned died from their service experience.
Patriotic fundraising was well developed during the war but this time it was to be directed to the honourable expression of loved local women’s loss and anguish in having their lives mutilated by the war.
As best can be ascertained, the Rosewater Women’s Memorial Committee formed in May 1921. (Ref 1)
The President was Mrs A.D. Allan, Secretary Miss Ivorine MacGillivray and Treasurer Mrs Margaret Dobson. All these ladies lived in Chad street, Rosewater. About them gathered a working party of other ladies who also had incurred personal loss during, or after the war. With the cooperation of the Port Adelaide Council (PAC) a triangular piece of land at the corner of the local reserve where Chad street meets Canning Street was assigned a Memorial Garden and the site for two proposed memorials. The larger of the two bore a large, faced block of granite bedecked by a stone cross. This bears 66 inscribed names of those who died overseas. Nearby a granite fountain was erected, the stem of which now bears the names of ten men who died of war related problems after the Armistice. The stonework was completed by well-known firm of A.S. Tillet.
As the Governor of the day, Sir Archibald Weigall, was on the point of fishing his term in SA, the dedication date was brought forward to Saturday 15/4/1922 (Ref 2).
At this stage the names of the servicemen had not been inscribed on the stone but were displayed on a board (101/2 ft by 7ft) mounted on two large easels (Ref 3). Subsequent radial pergolas supported by cement columns surrounded each memorial, but before completion, two more names were added to the fountain list.
Mrs Dobson died on 5/7/1922. The ladies not to be denied appointed Mrs McLaurrin of 10 Canning Street as succeeding Treasurer. (Ref 4)
Finally on ANZAC Day 1924, the women’s task complete, their efforts were praised by both Mr Slade Mayor (PAC) and Councillor Tapp during the service.
References.
1. Port Adelaide News 21/4/1922
2.
a. PAC Mayors report for 1922
b. Register Adelaide 17/4/1922
3. PAEC Archives Memo Town Clerk to City Engineer & City Engineer to Carpenter
4. Port Adelaide News 2/5/1924
Written by Mr. R Grandison 03 Nov2009
