The Cleveland War Memorial

The idea of a memorial for the district’s residents who had served in war was raised during World War I (1914-1918), when local residents canvassed the matter with the Cleveland Shire Council. Initial suggestions included planting shade trees along the roads and naming them after fallen soldiers. This was declined as the Council had already resolved to eventually build a permanent memorial to the fallen.1 Nothing further happened until the end of 1919, after the Great War was over. In 1919 a series of public meetings were held in the Cleveland Shire to discuss the location of the memorial. The suggestions put forward basically agreed that a stone monument should be erected embracing the whole Cleveland Shire, preferably in a prominent place near the centre of the Shire.2 (At the time, the Cleveland Shire includedThorneside, Birkdale, Wellington Point, Ormiston, Cleveland and Thornlands. Today the Cleveland Shire is part of the Redland Shire.)

Several possible sites were suggested, with two in Cleveland and one in Wellington Point. Shortly after these meetings, the Cleveland Shire Council unanimously voted that “one memorial stone, in the form of a broken column be erected for the Shire.” It also resolved to erect the memorial stone in the triangle at the intersection of Shore and North Sts, Cleveland.3

Who built it?

The Memorial was built by WE Parsons of Brisbane, whose design was approved by the Cleveland Shire Council in December 1919. The design was described thus: “including 8 stone posts 3 feet high & iron chains painted bronze green, brown Helidon freestone to be used.”4 It also included a list of the names of the fallen. The Memorial was delivered to Cleveland and erected in early August 1920, and officially unveiled on Saturday 14 August 1920.5

The Cleveland War Memorial in 1920

This photo was probably taken at the unveiling on 14 August - HP2146

ANZAC Day Service, 1936 - HP1116

The Memorial has remained near the intersection of North and Passage Streets ever since it was built. In 1992 it was moved about 50 metres to the west as part of a project to landscape the area.6 In 2014 funding was made available for the construction of a new memorial to commemorate the upcoming ANZAC centenary. It was the result of a joint project between the RSL, National Servicemen’s Association, Redland City Council and the federal government.

The new memorial, which also incorporates a War Animal Memorial, was constructed in Kinsail Court Park, Raby Bay. It features a granite statue of a World War I Digger resting on arms reversed, surrounded by a semi-circular retaining wall bearing the names of every major battle in which Australians have been involved. It was officially unveiled on Friday 17 April 2015. The following week, an estimated 20000 people attended the dawn service there to commemorate the 100th anniversary of ANZAC. In January 2016, permission was granted to officially rename the park to ANZAC Centenary Park.7

The War Animal Memorial at ANZAC Centenary Park HP6658

The original War Memorial - HP6660 The new ANZAC Centenary Park Memorial - HP6662

The Redlands RSL and Memorial Hall

The Redlands RSSILA Sub-branch held its first meeting on 11 May 1925. At its July meeting the Sub-branch decided to build a memorial hall. The land was purchased in 1926 and fund-raising began for the building.8 The Memorial Hall was officially opened by Australian Prime Minister SM Bruce on 5 August 1928, almost exactly eight years after the War Memorial was unveiled over the road from the Hall. The Memorial Hall became an important landmark and over the years it hosted many activities, including fetes, charity functions and balls. It also housed a library and a kindergarten, and a green for ring bowls outside. In the mid-1990s the decision was made to move the Hall so that a more modern premises could be built. The original RSL Memorial Hall is now in Smith St, between the Redland Museum, the Redlands Showground and the Cleveland High School.

The former Cleveland Memorial Hall, now located in Smith Street, Cleveland - HP5595

Endnotes

1 Cleveland Shire Council Minutes, 7 August 1917, p50.

2 Cleveland Shire Council minutes, 9 October 1919, p106.

3 Cleveland Shire Council minutes, 22 October 1919.

4 Cleveland Shire council minutes, 17 December 1919.

5 Cleveland Shire Council minutes, 7 July 1920; 4 August 1920.

6 Redland Times? Clipping dated 16 September 1992, held in Local History Collection, Cleveland Library.

7 Redland City Bulletin, 3 February 2016 [online]

8 Alldridge, Noel, 1996, unpublished manuscript by President, Redlands Sub-branch, RSSILA.