Memorial Park, 118-134 Main Street, GREAT WESTERN
118-134 Main Street GREAT WESTERN, NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
The Memorial Park with its group of memorials, former lock-up and substantial cypress and eucalypt trees and grassed areas has significance as the location of important commemorative structures honouring local soldiers who fought and died in the Boer, First and Second World Wars. It also has significance as the location of the Blacksmiths' Memorial, honouring the local blacksmiths of the 19th century (who provided the necessary farm equipment for the vine growers), and as the location of the former lock-up (which represents the early infrastructure development associated with the 19th century Police Camp at Great Western). The park also has significance as an important landscaped and recreational area in the town.
The Memorial Park is aesthetically significant at a LOCAL level. It has important visual qualities as demonstrated by the substantial cypress and eucalypt trees and grassed areas, together with the grouping of memorials in the north-west corner.
The former lock-up in the Memorial Park, Great Western, is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. It demonstrates original 19th century design qualities as demonstrated in the simple gable roof form and horizontal weatherboard wall cladding. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the rows of regularly arranged ventilation holes in the upper reaches of the longitudinal elevations, vertically boarded door with elongated iron hinges, locks and bolts and the galvanised corrugated iron roof cladding.
The Memorial Park and group of memorials are historically significant at a LOCAL level. They are associated with local soldiers who fought and died in the Boer War (1899-1902), First World War (1914-1918) and Second World War (1939-1945).
The Blacksmith's Memorial is historically significant at a LOCAL level for its associations with the local 19th century blacksmiths who provided the necessary farm equipment for the vine growers in the area.
The former lock-up is also historically significant at a LOCAL level for its associations with the early developments in the town in the 1860s, and is particularly associated with the former Police Camp near the Concongella Creek.
The Memorial Park, including the group of war memorials (Memorial Gates, Soldiers' Memorial, flagpole and timber seat) and the Blacksmiths' Memorial, is socially significant at LOCAL level. It is recognised and highly valued by the Great Western community for commemorative reasons.
Overall, the Memorial Park, including the group of war memorials (Memorial Gates, Soldiers' Memorial, flagpole and timber seat), the Blacksmith's Memorial and the former lock-up, is of LOCAL significance.
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Memorial Park, 118-134 Main Street, GREAT WESTERN - Physical Description 1
The Memorial Park at Great Western, is situated on a triangular piece of land facing Main Street (Western Highway) and is further edged by Paxton and Brunel Streets. It forms a landscaped gateway at the south-eastern end of the town. It is well-treed with substantial cypresses and eucalypts, and has a grassed ground cover. Tennis courts are also situated in the park.
However, it is the group of memorials at the northern end from which the park receives its name. The northern entrance to the park is accentuated by the Memorial gates. These gates consist of four grey granite pillars with central scrolled steel vehicular gates and flanking scrolled steel pedestrian gates. Both the central pillars feature inscriptions cut in gold writing.
The left pillar reads:
Great Western War Memorial Park
The Memorials within this park were unveiled by his Excellency the Governor of Victoria,
General Sir Dallas Brooks, K.C.E., K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O, August 16th, 1956
The right pillar reads:
Great Western War Memorial Park
These gates are in the Memory of William Robert Kilpatrick, Flight Lieutenant, RAAF,
Killed in Air Operations over Boulogne, July 31st 1943
Centrally located within the group of memorials is the Soldiers' Memorial. It has a stepped square bluestone base, upon which rests a Harcourt granite plinth, white marble pedestal and Harcourt granite obelisk. The memorial lists those killed in action in the First World War (1914-18) and has the following inscription:
In honour of the living and the everlasting glory of the dead who enlisted, fought and fell in the Great War (1914-18)
Below the above inscription is a further title panel that reads:
Boer War 1899-1902. John Thomlinson, Henry Best Jnr.
To one side of the Soldiers' Memorial is a memorial timber seat. A plaque on the seat reads:
This seat was donated by the family of the late J.H. McKinnis in memory of their brother Corporal Roy McKinnis who died on active service, 12th September 1944
To the other side of the Soldiers' Memorial is a memorial flagpole. It is positioned on a tapered granite pedestal. A plaque at the base of the flagpole reads:
This flagpole was donated by the Curran family in memory of Rex, killed in action on Kokoda Trail, 9th August 1942, age 22 years
The pedestal has the following inscription on one face:
Dedicated to the Memory of Rexleigh W. Curran, William R. Kilpatrick, Roy McKinnis who so valiantly gave their all that freedom might live and in honour of those who served in World War II
Beneath these words is a small bronze laurel wreath followed by the inscribed date:
1939-1945
Another face of the pedestal reads:
Australia Remembers, 1945-1995. Peter Seppelt, John Walker and John Thomlinson
Nearby the war memorials is a Blacksmiths' Memorial. It consists of a circular concrete base with a sandstone border and four regularly spaced flowering roses. The central iron plough (representing the work of the blacksmiths for the local vine growers) rests on a rectangular sandstone plinth, three courses high. Two plaques are affixed to the plinth. The upper plaque reads:
In memory of our Blacksmiths
The second plaque reads:
John R. Cornforth, Charles A. Brandt, James K. Stewart
The former lock-up is situated under a recent protective steel framed and corrugated galvanised shelter, to the south-east of the group of memorials. The modestly scaled, horizontal weatherboard lock-up is characterised by a simple gable roof form clad in galvanised corrugated iron. The upper reaches of the longitudinal elevations have a row of small ventilation holes. The centrally located vertically boarded door is in poor condition with substantial deterioration to the board ends, although it is intact. The door is supported by early elongated iron hinges with early door locks and bolts. Surrounding the structure is a recent base wall of granite stone, two courses high. The building is basically a cage of iron bars for the walls, floor and ceiling with very thick timbers used as weatherboards to line the external walls and a ceiling of thick planking. The floor was of steel plates. The gable ends of the roof are designed as vents which would allow for the escape of heat during hot weather. A perforated metal vent is let into each side of the building for ventilation of the cell. The door is solid and clad in metal. The roof section is attached to the wall section by a row of long bolts which indicate that it may have been possible to remove the roof when relocating the structure.
Heritage Study and Grading
Northern Grampians - Shire of Northern Grampians - Stage 2 Heritage Study
Author: Wendy Jacobs, Vicki Johnson, David Rowe, Phil Taylor
Year: 2004
Grading:
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