Warialda Railway First and Second World Wars Honour Roll

About

The memorial is a stone obelisk with honour roll attached for those who served in the First and Second World Wars. It is approximately twelve feet high. It was originally located at the Warialda Railway Public School, where it was unveiled around June 1921, on the same day that the school's Wunderlich honour roll for the war was unveiled. The Wunderlich roll is listed separately on the NSW War Memorials Register as the Warialda Railway Public School First World War Honor Roll.  Fundraising for the school's memorials was underway by May 1920, with C.W. Chapman, honorary secretary of the Warialda Railway Parents and Citizens' Association, advertising a sports day to be held on 22 May 1920 in the Warialda Standard and Northern Districts' Advertiser, 3 May 1920. The day after the event, the results were published in the Standard. The total proceeds were approximately 72 pounds and the committee expected to clear 48 pounds.  At the Yallaroi Shire Council meeting held in November 1920, the Standard, 15 November 1920, reported that "Mr. Hanscombe sought approval of the erection of an honor roll in the school and obelisk in the school ground at Warialda Railway'. Approval was given." The unveiling ceremonies for both memorials were described in the Standard on 6 June 1921. On 27 July 1946, a solemn function was held at the school to unveil the marble plaques bearing the names of those who took part in the Second World War. Mr. W.R. Daley, President of the Patriotic Association, conducted the ceremony. The National Anthem was sung and a wreath was placed on the monument by the P. and C. Association (Warialda Standard, 5 August 1946). The school was established as Burgaria Public School in July 1903. It was closed in December 1971 and the site was sold. Over its time, it has also been known as Kelly's Gully until February 1952 and Warialda Rail until July 1959. Following the closure, the obelisk was moved to its present location at a park adjacent to the old tennis courts at Warialda, a few kilometres out of town, travelling south to Bingara. The Wunderlich roll was then placed in the care of the Warialda RSL. It is now located in the Warialda Historical Society Museum and is available for viewing when the museum is open.

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