Nine Mile Church Great War Memorial Plaque

This memorial is a marble plaque in the shape of a shield, mounted on timber. It is dedicated to A. S. Partridge and R. Miller. The plaque was unveiled in the Nine Mile Church on Sunday 26 October 1919, by Mrs R. Partridge, mother to one of the deceased. The Reverend James Marshall conducted the service.

Nine Mile was a mining settlement located on the outskirts of Walcha, and today there is still a Nine Mile Church Road.

The memorial plaque is now located in the Walcha Ex-Services Memorial Club.

Notes on the veterans:

• Alexander Stephen Partridge was born in the Walcha district. As a single farmer aged 23 years, he enlisted as a private in the 54th Battalion, 8th Reinforcement on 1 August 1916. He left for overseas from Sydney on the HMAT A29 Suevic on 11 November 1916. As a Private in the 34th Battalion, he was killed in action on 24 April 1918 at Villers-Bretonneux, France. He is buried in the Crucifix Corner Cemetery at Villers-Bretonneux, France.
• Robert Miller was born in Redfern, Sydney. As a single draper aged 24 years, he enlisted on 23 August 1914 in the 4th Battalion, A Company at Randwick, NSW. His unit embarked from Sydney on board the HMAT Euripedes on 20 October 1914. As a Corporal in the 4th Battalion he died of wounds at Proyart, near Peronne, France on 23 August 1918 and was buried in the Heath Cemetery at Harbonnieres in France.