In 1909, the Perth Fallen Soldiers Memorial (specifically the South African War Memorial) was located on Fraser Avenue in Kings Park, near the entrance off Kings Park Road. Unveiled in September 1902, it was the first war memorial erected in Kings Park to honour those who died in the Boer War.
The Fallen Soldiers Memorial Service December 26th 1909:
The annual Memorial Service will be held at King’s Park at the base of the Fallen Soldiers’ Monument on Sunday afternoon, Dec 26. The arrangements which have been made will all lead up to a most impressive ceremony. A big muster of troops is expected; the massed bands will attend, and the service itself, while simple, will be of a most solemn character. A meeting will be held to-morrow night to deal with the arrangements. [1]
Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial
The memorial service for the Western Australian soldiers who fell in the South African war, which was held in King’s Park yesterday, was largely attended by members of the military forces and returned members of contingents, while the general public were present in thousands. Amongst those present were His Excellency the Governor (Sir Gerald Strickland), the Lieut Governor (Sir Edward Stone), and Sir John Forrest, honorary colonel of the First Battalion of the 11th Australian Infantry Regiment. An apology for un avoidable absence was received from Chaplain (Major) A. S. C. James. The Commandant (Lieut-Colonel Irving), was accompanied by Major Robertson, D.A.A. and Q.M.G., Captain Pendlebury, officer in charge of training operations, and Lieutenant Cass, S.O.L. There were also present: — Lieut-Colonel Strickland, V.D., Lieutenant Colonel Hobbs, V.D., Majors White, V.D., Parker, D.S.O., Wisdom, and Battye, and Captain Barnes. His Excellency was. -accompanied by Captain Rhodes, A.D.C, and Captain Kerr Pearse, and was met on arrival by the Commandant. The service, which was of a very impressive nature, was conducted by the Senior Chaplain (Colonel Riley, V.D.), assisted by Chaplains (Major) Snell and (Captain) Makeham. [2]
FALLEN SOLDIERS’ MEMORIAL.
AN IMPRESSIVE SERVICE.
BIG GATHERING AT KING’S PARK.
The service which was conducted in’ King’s Park yesterday afternoon in memory of the officers and men of this State who fell in the South African campaign was largely attended, alike by members of the military forces and the public. The service commenced at 4 o’clock, but long before that hour thousands of people had gathered in the vicinity of the statue erected in the park in memory of the fallen soldiers. The statue was draped in half mourning, while the Union Jack covered the gun and limber from which the senior chaplain (Colonel Riley, V.D.), assisted by Chaplains (Major) Snell and (Captain) Makeham, conducted the service. Amongst the others present were His Excellency the Governor (Sir Gerald Strickland), the Lieut.-Governor (Sir Edward Stone), and Sir John Forrest, honorary colonel of the First Battalion of the 11th Australian infantry Regiment. An apology for unavoidable absence was received from Chaplain (Major) A. S. C., James. Delightful weather prevailed, and the large space which had been reserved around the statue for the troops, returned members of contingents, and the relatives and friends of the deceased soldiers, was fully occupied.
The’ Commandant (Lient-Colonel Irvin was accompanied by Major Robertson, D.A.A. and Q.M.G., Captain Pendlebury. officer in charge of training operations, and Lieutenant Cass, S.O.I. There were also present :-Lieut.-Colonel Strickland, V.D., Lieutenant.-Colonel Hobbs, V.D., Majors White. V.D., Parker, D.S.O., Wisdom and Battye and Captain Barnes. His Excellency was accompanied by Captain Rhodes,. A.D.C.. and Captain Kerr Pearse, and was met on arrival by the Commandant. The troops present represented every branch of the military forces in the State, a big section of the cadets and boy scouts being amongst those in attendance. The 11th A.I.R. and Australian Garrison Artillery Bands were also present, along with the pipers of the Highland Company of the W.A.I.R. Prior to the commencement of the service the Senior Chaplain stated that a collection would be taken up, the object, he added, being unfortunately to collect funds, with which to restore the monument which they saw before them. Prominent amongst the gathering were the returned members of contingents, a large number of whom were in uniform. They were accommodated with places on the right and left of the chaplains. The Senior Chaplain and Chaplain (Captain) Makeham led the gathering in prayer, while the lesson was read by Chaplain (Major) Snell. The prayer and lessons were preceded by the hymn “Rock of Ages”. and followed by the hymn “Lest We Forget.” The Senior Chaplain delivered an inspiring address, as the text for which he took the 29th verse of the 17th chapter of, the First Book of Samuel, basing his remarks upon the words, “Is there not a cause?” He said that no doubt many of those present thought it strange that at Christmas a time, when all were thinking of the Prince of Peace, they should be holding such a meeting in memory of those who had fallen in battle and in honour of those who had returned home from a campaign. It must be remembered, however, that the Lord and Master, although Prince of Peace, did not condemn soldiers. If he (the speaker) thought the gathering that afternoon tended to war or if he believed for one moment that the training of the youths of the State to be soldiers might set up in them a desire for war, he would have had nothing to do with it. They all knew what a terrible thing war was, and those who had
seen the horrors of it were the least anxious, to do anything to bring it about. The Duke of Wellington had said that he supposed he was one of those men who had spent more of their years at war than most others, and that if by any sacrifice he could hale prevented one month of civil war he would have made that sacrifice, even at the cost of his own life. He (the speaker) did not think that nowadays war was caused by soldiers, and although in war they had read of examples of wonderful endurance, of magnificent self-sacrifice, of bravery, and of hard work, yet on the other hand they had read of such horrors that one wished the time would come when war would cease. They should rejoice, however, that their friends had died so nobly. Man could die but once, and was it not pleasanter to die doing one’s duty than to have lived a careless, thoughtless, easy-going life? At that service they met once again those who had gone out to the South African campaign but who by the providence of God had returned home. To those men as well as to those who had died they owed their thanks. They deserved all the honour that the State could bestow upon them, for at the call of duty they had left home and fought for their Empire. What Australia wanted was that its citizens should learn citizenship. They wanted men to enter Parliament, men to enter the councils of the towns, and Australian men to work in the Church of God, but so far very few of them had learnt their duty. He looked upon the training of men to be soldiers as a duty, and, if necessary, a terrible duty. If it was a duty, and if it was a burden which must be undertaken by the citizens, then he saw no reason at all why every man should not take up his share of that burden. He hoped the day would soon be when every man would have to take his share of duty, and rejoiced that in this time it was to be incumbent upon everybody to bear that great and terrible burden which was cast upon everyone, i.e., the responsibility of defending his country. The qualities of a soldier were just those qualities which made for a good race. They wanted discipline they wanted courage, they wanted manliness if they were to be a great nation. Again, if they wanted to be a great nation there were certain giants to be slain-the giants of intemperance, of immorality, and of gambling. There was also another giant, to be slain-the giant composed of men who said I don’t care whether or not my country is well governed, whether my country is immoral, whether the Church of God flourishes, so long as I can live at ease and have my amusement.” One of the great curses of Australia was that there were thousands who did nothing for God or man, I but he believed that would be overcome when every man was bound to do his duty to the State. On the other hand, no one could forget the enthusiasm with which thousands of young men responded to the call for their services in South Africa, and that day they had met to thank God for their examples of noble life. Their lives had not been wasted, for they had done their duty to their King, to their country, and to God. The gathering then sang the hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers.” An impressive and striking part of the service was the playing of the “Dead March” while wreaths were placed at the foot of the statue by representatives of the different branches of the forces. The wreaths were forwarded by relatives and friends of the deceased soldiers and various units of the forces, each officer pacing slowly to the statue with a wreath and then saluting. This duty was entrusted to the following, who came in the order named:-Major J. M. Y. Stewart, A.A.M.C., Captain Ochiltree, Captain Garland, Lieutenant Edwards, Sergeant-Major Wood, Sergeant-Major Pollett, Sergeant-Major Mansfield, Sergeant-Major Calder, and Sergeant McCornack. The “Last Post’ was subsequently sounded by the buglers, in charge of Sergeant-Drummer Toll, of the 11th A.I.R. the National Anthem bringing the service to a close.
The names of the Western Australian. who fell in the South African campaign.
were given as follow:-1st W.A. Contingent: Major II. G. Moor, R.A., Lieutenant G. H. Hensman. Quartermaster-Sergeant C. N. Bishop, Privates M. Conway, Fig, Force, and M1. Collett. 2nd W.A. Contingent: Captain Oliver and Lieutenant A. E. Woloman. 3rd W.A. Contingent: Privates T. H. Angel. E. A. Hambly. J. Roscoe, W. J. .McPhee. J. Hume. H. White. and W. H. Croms. 4th W.A. Contingent: Lance-Corporal W. Fraser and Privates J. Kay and F. G. Iles. 5th W.A. Contingent: Lieutenant A. Forrest. Sergeant F. F. Edwards, Farrier-Sergeant R. H. McGregor, Corporals R. G. Furlong and W. F. Bollinger, Lance. Corporal J. G. Dalliston, and Privates A. A. Hammond. A. Alday, H. Solomon, W. Parker, and W. J. Dunstan. 6th W.A. Contingent: Lieutenants S. S. Reid and G. A. Morris, and Privates F. Page, F. T. Adams. B. Fisher. J. Semruple, A. Blanck, J., B. M1. Thurston. C. C. Clifford. J. Delahunty. O. E. Fry. G, Wcstcott, R. W. Spencer, and T. H. Wilson. [3]
[1] Sunday Times Sunday 5 December 1909 page 7
[2] The Daily News Monday 27 December 1909 page 4
[3] The West Australian Monday 27 December 1909 page 4