First World War Roll of Duty, St Mary's Presbyterian Church Lithgow

The First World War Roll of Duty is a framed roll of honour board. It was first unveiled in St Marys Presbyterian Church in Lithgow on 28 January 1917. It includes 77 names of local parishioners who served during the First World War. Of these 77, nine were killed in action.

The unveiling was presided over by Reverend A Robertson to a packed audience. St Mary's church was decorated with the flags of the commonwealth of nations, while the Roll of Duty was covered with both the Australian flag and the Union Jack. The community and military representatives participated in the march to the church, with pipe bands honouring the 77 enlisted soldiers and those who died in battle. As the war was still ongoing Rev. Robertson included a call to duty as part of his address; 'We were fighting because we must, the King is calling, the Empire is calling, the men in the field are calling, the call is urgent, I put it to you this morning, here's your chance to prove your devotion to the Empire and to God, for it is a very noble thing to be a soldier in a war like this'. 

As St Mary’s Church was becoming too small to cater for the growing parish, it was decided shortly after the war that a new Presbyterian church was needed. The Hoskins Memorial Presbyterian church was opened in 1928 and St Mary’s was subsequently deconsecrated. The Roll of Duty was given as a gift to the Hoskins Memorial Church for safe keeping and display. Today, the Hoskins Memorial Church is known as the Hoskins Memorial Uniting Church.