The Auburn War Memorial has stood proudly in Auburn Memorial Park since 2015. However, its history can be traced back for 100 years to 1922, when it was originally built closer to Auburn train station to commemorate those who fell in the First World War.
The memorial is an imposing sandstone structure, surmounted by a group of three figures that are beautifully sculpted from white Sicilian marble. The central figure is a soldier, depicted standing while holding a banner or flag. Seated on his left is the female figure of 'Justice', blindfolded and holding scales. Seated to his right is 'Peace', with a dove on her right shoulder. Positioned below the soldier's feet is a white marble plaque in the shape of a laurel wreath, overlying a crown and a 'Rising Sun' array, which reads 'Australian Commonwealth Military Forces'.
A work of art
Ron Inglis, author of Auburn Remembers: Remembering the Men of Auburn Who Gave Their Lives in the First World War 1914–1918, says, "The Auburn War Memorial is one of the few pieces of great public art in the very crowded suburb of Auburn." He believes the statues are its most interesting feature, calling them "quite [a] rare feature of artistry on Australian war memorials—especially the soldier representation in the centre."
While other instances of the Peace and Justice figures can be found throughout Australia, the soldier's 'Liberty guiding the people pose' has a strong European feel. He was originally sculpted with his banner held out at 45 degrees, a common pose on French war memorials, but "extremely rare in Australia," says Inglis. Unfortunately, this angle caused the soldier's arm and flagpole to be frequently damaged in bad weather. So, when the statue was refurbished in 2014, it was redesigned with a more vertical orientation.
Those who served
The front and rear sides of the memorial are faced with 13 brown marble tablets. They contain the names of 205 veterans: 137 from the First World War and 68 from the Second World War.
Of those 137 men, 135 died in the Great War, with more than 20 of them dying on their first and only day of battle, according to Inglis. This is another unique feature of the Auburn War Memorial. Inglis says, "Most Australian war memorials list the names of all who enlisted from the district, most of whom returned to Australia." However, as more than 900 men from Auburn enlisted in the war, it was not possible to include all their names. This decision is evident in one of the original inscriptions on the memorial:
Remember with thanksgiving the true and faithful men who, in the Great War, went forth from this place for God and Right. The names of those who returned not again are hereon inscribed, to be honoured for evermore.
(The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, 6 May 1922)
The final list recorded on the memorial was unfortunately not without error. While researching the memorial, Inglis was surprised to find 10 spelling mistakes of either a soldier's name or a battle site.
Image
A red-letter day for Auburn
The official dedication ceremony for the memorial took place on 30 April 1922 and was attended by more than 4,000 people. It was reported in detail in The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate on 6 May. The unveiling was performed by Major-General Sir Charles Rosenthal. During his speech he said:
This monument is a magnificent indication of the wishes and efforts of the people of Auburn to revere and honor the memory of their illustrious dead.
Echoing Rosenthal's sentiments, Mayor Cheetham declared:
This is a big day in Auburn—it is a red-letter day ... This is the greatest event that has ever taken place in this town—we are showing our appreciation and gratitude for all that has been done for us.
On the move
Since its unveiling, the memorial has been relocated an astounding three times; no mean feat for a monument almost 8 metres tall. In 1946, it was moved to Auburn Park facing Macquarie Road. At the same time, the original white marble tablets were replaced with brown ones, and the names of those who served in the Second World War were added.
Due to instances of vandalism, the memorial was refurbished and moved in 1987 to the Auburn RSL car park in Northumberland Road. This property was sold in 2013, prompting in-depth consultation. The result was a third refurbishment and the decision to return the memorial to its original Railway Park, now known as Memorial Park, but to a more prominent position on the Rawson Street side.
On 28 February 2015, a major public ceremony was held to rededicate the memorial. Inglis notes that the Auburn memorial could be the only war memorial in Australia to have been moved three times, only to be reinstalled in the same park where it was originally erected.
We will remember them
The Auburn War Memorial is the primary memorial in Auburn and is used for commemorative ceremonies throughout the year, such as Anzac Day. There are several other First World War memorials in the area, including the Municipality of Auburn First World War Honour Roll, which is on display inside the Cumberland RSL sub-Branch office at Unit 7, 1-5 Harrow Road, Auburn. Most of the veterans listed on the Auburn War Memorial are included on this roll.
Help us record history
Do you have a relative listed on a war memorial in Auburn, or in the surrounding suburbs? We'd like to hear more about them. Contact the NSW War Memorials Register to find out more.
#LestWeForget
Thank you to Ron Inglis, Vice-President of the Cumberland RSL sub-Branch, for his assistance with this article.
Image captions:
- Auburn War Memorial in 2015 (left), with detail of statues (right). Photographs provided by Ron Inglis, 2021.
- Auburn War Memorial in 1923. Photograph provided by Ron Inglis, 2021.