Varley Oval, Inverell

About

The memorial is a sporting oval dedicated to Brigadier Arthur Leslie Varley (1893-1944) who served in the First and Second World Wars. A metal archway with the name 'Varley Oval' in large letters spans the entrance to the sporting field. The oval is a modern sporting complex which caters for cricket, football and athletics. It was modernised in 2016-2017 by Inverell Shire Council.  A memorial plaque with the dedication of the oval to Brigadier Varley is attached to a bush rock situated within the oval. The plaque outlines the service history of Brigadier Varley in both the First and Second World Wars, providing great detail of his time in the POW Camps in Asia during the Second World War. Arthur Leslie Varley enlisted in the First World War as a Private on 24 August 1915 at the age of 22. He served in Egypt, France and Belgium, and was awarded the Military Cross and Bar for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He rose through the ranks and by the time he returned to Australia in June 1919, he had been promoted to Captain. During the Second World War Varley was seconded to the AIF on 7 May 1940 and assumed command of 2/18th Battalion, part of the 22nd Brigade destined for Malaya. He was promoted to Brigadier in the final days of the battle for Singapore. Varley died at sea in September 1944 when the Rakuyo Maru, the Japanese POW ship he and 1,200 of his men were prisoners aboard, was torpedoed.  Proposals for a memorial at Varley Oval in memory of Brigadier Varley were suggested by Inverell RSL, and were considered and discussed at a public meeting held in the Council chambers in December 1948 (The Inverell Times, 17 December 1948).

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