Murrurundi and District First and Second World Wars Memorial Gate

About

The historic war memorial gate at Murrurundi is a stone arch, accompanied by a stone fence. Attached to the pillars of the arch are four black granite honour rolls for the First and Second World Wars. A metal sign sits on top of the lintel.  The granite plaques are an updated version of the previous bronze honour roll that was attached to a stone plinth positioned behind the gate, which was on site until at least Anzac Day, 2021. The plinth has been replaced by a rendered block wall, on top of a two-step platform. A flagpole stands directly behind it. Attached to the front of the wall are five black granite plaques. Four feature etchings of the emblems of the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces, the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, and Royal Australian Air Force. The fifth plaque has the name of a Korean War veteran, alongside the names of other conflicts in which Australia has been involved.  The gate and fence were constructed in 1923 by the Thomas Browne company of Maitland, noted stonemasons who built many cemetery headstones and memorials throughout the Hunter, North West, and New England regions of NSW. They were commissioned by the returned soldiers of the area, who chose the site as it was the town's memorial park. In its original form, the arch contained metal gates and the stone fence was 160 feet long (The Maitland Weekly Mercury, 28 April 1923).  On 16 March 2021, the Upper Hunter Shire Council announced plans to restore the gate. They had received a grant of $150,000 through the Australian Government's COVID-19 Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRC) Program, which had been announced in October 2020. An archival photograph on council's website shows the gate also had two white marble honour rolls attached to it at some stage (see: Upper Hunter Shire Council website). Council worked with Muswellbrook RSL sub-Branch to engage heritage design consultants for the project. The work included dismantling the gate and installing structural footings and concrete slab platforms. Various commemorative services have been held on site, such as on Anzac Day, when returned servicemen and women have marched through the town to the gate.