Hordern Monument

Author

City of Albany

Place Number

15572

Location

York St Albany

Location Details

Top of York Street

Local Government

Albany

Region

Great Southern

Construction Date

Constructed from 1890

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 27 Oct 2020

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 30 Jun 2001 Category B
Local Heritage Survey Adopted 27 Oct 2020 Considerable

Statement of Significance

Hordern Monument has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: As a memorial to commemorate the memory of Anthony Hordern, who was the key promoter and developer of the WA Land Company and Great Southern Railway Schemes. It has high aesthetic significance as an entry statement at the north end of the town and in its crowning position at the top of the main commercial strip of York Street.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include: • Set at the top of York St • Constructed from imported red granite • Tall Victorian Egyptian style that was used in monuments throughout Australia during the late Victorian period – suitable for in the round locations • Provides a recognisable and enduring entrance to the main commercial part of town Some obvious modifications include: • Relocated from original central position at the top of York Street – slightly west

History

Crowning the intersection of four major thoroughfares into the centre of Albany's shopping precinct, and situated at the top of York street, the Hordern Monument is a fitting tribute to the memory of Anthony Hordern, the man once lauded as "the Cecil Rhodes of Western Australia" and credited with bringing the railway to Albany with the construction of the Great Southern Railway. Set on a base of local blue granite, the imposing 9-metre high, red granite obelisk was imported from the Scottish masonry firm of Heslop, Wilson & Co. at a cost of £792 (including shipping fees of £92). Payment of the memorial costs were a result of public subscription, which was ratified by the (then) Albany Municipal Council, where it was stated that "The poor man's shillings would be received as thankfully as the rich man's thousands or hundreds". Two major donations from staff of Messrs. Anthony Hordern & Sons and Mr. Alexander Forrest for £500 & £50 respectively, provided the opening contributions. Finally, after a delay of almost 4 years, the Hordern Monument was unveiled on 2nd July 1890, in a ceremony attended by Sir Malcolm Fraser, Major Pilington, the Hon. Alexander Forrest, Major Phillips the Mayor and representative townsmen of Albany. (A similar obelisk in blue granite was also erected on his grave at Memorial Park Cemetery; however, the Albany firm of Hartman made that.) The monument also became a popular mustering point for processions and marches down York Street. In keeping with societal sentiments of the time, this monument was a public declaration of the esteem and respect that the wider community held for Anthony Hordern. As such, the siting of the monument in such a landmark position would have been an important aspect to be considered in the overall design of the monument. It is a little ironic then; that this placement created concerns regarding possible traffic and safety hazards in the 1940s by the Albany Municipal Council, and it's removal from the York-street position was considered to the consternation of many local residents who voiced their disapproval in many articles in the local paper. The Albany Advertiser dated 18 June 1957 provides the two deciding factors against the move of the monument. Firstly, the cost of moving the item (a sum of £30,000 was quoted) was considered "ridiculous", and secondly, as the land on which the monument was positioned was thought to be an "A" class reserve, an Act of Parliament would have been required to allow its re-positioning. However, the monument was relocated slightly to the west of its original position, thereby slightly diluting its sense of crowning the top of the street. Anthony Hordern was a son of a Sydney based merchant who ran a company with offices in Australia, Britain, U.S.A. and China. Hordern’s unexpected death on board the S.S. "Carthage" on 16 September 1886 was the result of a sudden illness contracted during his return from England, after successfully floating the WA Land Company. On 20 September 1886, after arranging a banquet and sporting display to greet the returning "hero", officials from the town of Albany were stunned to find Mr. Hordern had died on board the ship some days earlier. His body was already sealed in "a fine coffin of strong teak covered in tarred canvas" and which had been returned to Albany for burial – the coffin temporarily held at local solicitor Edward Hare’s residence at Grey Street - as a result of a specific request from Mr. Hordern to the ship's captain. Two days later on the day of the funeral, a public holiday was declared by the Governor, and all stores, banks and Government offices were closed and flags were flown at half-mast. In a funeral procession which reached "half the length of York street", the roadways to the Cemetery (on Middleton-road) were lined by "nearly all of the townspeople who turned out to pay respect to the memory of the deceased as his remains were conveyed to their resting place." Dignitaries attending the funeral included representatives of the Governor, the U.S. Consular Agent, the Mayor and Municipal Councillors and representatives from many Government departments, to name only a few.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High/Moderate

Condition

Good

References

Ref ID No Ref Name Ref Source Ref Date
Albany Advertiser. 18 June 1957.
L Johnson; "Albany: Port with a past and a future". pp.129-131 Albany Port Authority: Albany.
R Erickson; "Dictionary of Western Australians". pp.1529
Heritage TODAY Site visit and Assessment 1999
DS Garden; "Albany : A Panorama of the Sound". pp.181-187 Thomas Nelson Australia Ltd: Melbourne.
Albany Observer. 3 July 1890.
L Johnson; "Love Thy Land". pp.51057 Shire of Albany
Albany Mail. 22 September 1886.

Creation Date

17 Mar 2000

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 May 2022

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.