By Kath Gannaway
A NEW memorial honours the 21 Yarra Glen and district servicemen who died in World War I.
The memorial, with two plaques, one listing the names of the men and the other a poem used at the dedication of the original Yarra Glen cenotaph in 1921, was unveiled by Federal Minister for Veterans Affairs Alan Griffin and Yarra Glen RSL president Ted Bowling on Sunday, 21 February.
Although an avenue of honour was planted at the end of the war in memory of those who did not return (Anzac Avenue), there were no plaques listing their names. Working in consultation with the Shire of Yarra Ranges, and with grants from the Victorian Veterans Council and the Department of Veterans Affairs in Canberra, the Yarra Glen RSL embarked on a project which would provide an enduring tribute.
Mr Griffin, McEwen MP Fran Bailey, Shire of Yarra Ranges Mayor Len Cox and ward councillor Cr Jeanette McRae were among those who spoke at the dedication.
Mr Griffin spoke of the Great War, in which Australian communities paid an enormous price.
“The people of Yarra Glen paid that price just like everyone else,” he said.
“Hopefully and thankfully, as a result of the sacrifices of those who went and those who died, we now live in a better world.”
Ms Bailey spoke of the hardship endured and the sacrifices made by the young men who went to war and the role communities played in ensuring their names would not be consigned to history.
Cr. McRae read the poem which after the war invited people to “ … ponder the question; What more could they give; Whose fate was to die that the nation should live?” and which will now invite future generations to reflect on that same question.
Cr McRae said the current generation built on the achievements of past generations.
“By displaying the characteristics of those we remember today – comradeship, unselfishness, courage, tenacity of spirit, active citizenship, we can enrich our Australian tradition,” she said.
Cr. McRae also paid tribute to the vision and commitment of the Yarra Glen RSL members who she said had worked hard to create what was a fitting memorial.
“The fact that this memorial has been created some 92 years after the end of the First World War highlights that we have not forgotten the selfless deeds and the price paid by an earlier generation,” she said.
