Community
3 April, 2024
Honour board to be unveiled
IN 1948, 1949 and 1963, three local halls were destroyed by fire.
As well as losing a place to gather, the communities also lost their World War honor boards.
Port Campbell’s were replaced in the years following the fire, but until recently the WW1 board in Scotts Creek and the WW1 and WW2 boards in Timboon remained only as fading memories.
In 2019, the Heytesbury District Historical Society replaced the Scotts and Cowleys Creek board.
Timboon had both a WW1 and a WW2 honor board, facing each other on opposite walls but, unlike the others, no photographs could be found.
The WW1 board had been unveiled on March 9, 1917 by the then-local J.D. Deany and the WW2 board on July 17, 1949 by D.D. (Dug) McKenzie, the president of the RSL.
Heytesbury District Historical Society member Peter Younis said the sentiment most prevalent at both ceremonies, was the desire to remember the sacrifices and service of the people listed and to provide a lasting monument for them, their families and their communities.
In 2021, Heytesbury District Historical Society was the recipient of a generous grant from Cooper Energy and the Vecta Group to replace the lost Timboon honor boards.
“After extensive research of the names, we engaged Robert Marr to construct the timber frame and Ian Currell to do the inscription,” Mr Younis said.
“The results are beyond our expectation and the new WW1 Honor board will be unveiled by Richard Riordan at 12noon in the Timboon hall on April 6, 2024.”
In conjunction with this project, Mr Younis said the long-term plan is to create an outdoor soldier’s memorial at the Powers Creek Reserve which runs through Timboon.
“When the Timboon RSL ceased operation a number of years ago, the members expressed a wish for some form of memorial to be built and funds were set aside for this,” he said.
“We are very pleased to announce that through a collaborative effort, between the Historical Society and the Powers Creek Reserve Trust, the first stage of the Powers Creek project will be installed prior to ANZAC day this year and a small group is working on the research required to finalise a list of soldiers from WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam and other conflicts in which Timboon and District people have served.
“We will continue to update the community on its progress and will be asking for assistance to confirm the names of those who will be recorded.”
Mr Younis encouraged families of the soldiers, friends and others to attend the unveiling on the Saturday.
Turn to page eight of this edition of the Cobden Timboon Coast Times for the list of names included on the honour roll to be unveiled on Saturday.