Donnybrook War Memorial

Statement of Significance

Donnybrook War Memorial was built to honour those residents of the town who served in the two World Wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45, and who died in service.
Donnybrook War Memorial has aesthetic value for its form and materials and is located in picturesque gardens on the banks of the Preston River at the side of the main street of the town. It is highly valued by the local community, many of whom are related to those commemorated. It illustrates the enormous human sacrifice made by the small regional communities and commemorates the renowned fighting spirit of the Anzacs.

Physical Description

Donnybrook War Memorial is a low white cement casket shape raised on a stepped plinth and topped with a chamfered capping. A plaque of names of deceased service personnel from the first and second world wars is mounted on the front face.
The memorial is surrounded by concrete paving and is set in formal symmetrical lawned gardens with rose beds which are surrounded by a low white timber fence of horizontal railings.
The memorial is located in a prominent position on the main street of Donnybrook within picturesque gardens on the banks of the Preston River.

History

Donnybrook War Memorial commemorating 57 local citizens who died in World War I (1914-18) and 22 who died in World War II (1939-45) was erected in 1953. The Soldiers’ Memorial Hall (1921) in Bentley Street had been built to commemorate the 57 men from the district who died in World War I. In August 1946, it was suggested to replace the existing windows on the eastern side of the Hall with four memorial windows, representing army, navy, air force and women’s services, but it was not pursued. In December, a deputation from the Returned Services’ League (R.S.L.) met with Preston Road Board to request erection of some form of memorial. The Board and the wider community in general were unenthusiastic or apathetic. In mid-1948, the R.S.L. made another appeal for a memorial and organised a ball to raise funds for a memorial. There was debate about the form of memorial, whether it should be utilitarian as well as symbolic, with some people considering that as a public facility the Soldiers’ Memorial Hall did not retain a fitting sense of reverence. On 7 August, 25 people attended a public meeting held by the Road Board to discuss the form it should take. Mr. L. J. Miller, chairman of the War Memorial Committee declared the proposal should be dropped unless more support was forthcoming. On 4 September, about 60 people attended the meeting that agreed on a memorial garden to be established on the site of the original bowling club, South Western Highway, with the names of those who died in both wars inscribed on a stone base. Fund raising proceeded slowly, with little support given to a public appeal, and only £500 was raised by October 1951. The War Memorial Committee adopted a plan submitted by the State Gardens Board for ‘a memorial garden of trees, shrubs and lawns, together with a memorial of Donnybrook freestone’ (West Australian 15 Oct. 1951) ‘in the old school reserve’, which was approved by commissioner for Preston Road Board, G. Lindsay, subject to an agreement with Donnybrook Canning Co. for water supply. In 1952-3, working bees cleared and prepared the site for the gardens where the stone memorial was erected. On 25 April, 1953, the Bishop of Bunbury, Rev. D. D. Redding dedicated Donnybrook War Memorial, where ANZAC Day services have been held henceforward except when prohibited by bad weather.

Following World War II (1939-45), the local Returned Servicemen’s League (R.S.L.) discussed proposals for a war memorial. In December 1946, their deputation attended a meeting of Preston Road Board to outline their views. The sub-branch president, J. Hearman, noted their opposition to public utilities as war memorials, and stated the Soldiers’ Memorial Hall erected after World War I had become a memorial in name only. They suggested a garden or park with a memorial stone inscribed with the names of the fallen, possibly those from both wars. It should be a quiet place that friends and relatives could visit to pay their respects on days that were of personal significance. Board members favored the proposals and appointed a sub-committee to co-operate with the R.S.L. to investigate and report. The local R.S.L. remained the driving force behind the proposal for the war memorial that took years to be realised in the face of public apathy. In 1951, the war memorial committee approved a design submitted by the State Garden Board for a memorial garden planted with trees, shrubs and lawns, with a memorial stone of Donnybrook stone. In October, the commissioner for Preston Road Board granted permission for use of its plant to clear and level the site selected in the centre of the town, which was cleared, laid out and planted in 1952-53. In this year there was increased public interest in the project and a large crowd attended the parade and dedication on Anzac Day, 1953. The Bishop of Bunbury, Rt. Rev. Donald Redding, officially dedicated Donnybrook District War Memorial and Rose Garden, where the marble tablet, inscribed with 56 names of those who died in World War I and 22 who died in World War II, on a block of Donnybrook stone, is a simple memorial to the fallen. The establishment of Apex Park next to the War Memorial Garden was a major achievement of the local Apex Club. In the early 2000s, the community highly values the War Memorial. War Memorial Garden and Apex Park, and the place is a landmark in the main street.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Last Update

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