Yeppoon War Memorial

About

The monumental style War memorial is located in Beaman Park. The simple white concrete obelisk is located in the centre of a double stepped paved base that has polished white concrete surfaces and culminates in a pyramidal apex. The obelisk has polished granite tablets or a brass plaque on each four faces. The eastern face has a list of all who enlisted from the district in WWI. The northern face has three black marble tablets honouring those killed in action during WWI, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts. The western face has a brass plaque dedicated to those who served in the Vietnam War and the southern face has a brass plaque honouring the women of the district who served in the Australian Armed Forces. In 2010 the Yeppoon War Memorial was restored and cleaned due to a partnership between Yeppoon RSL and the Queensland Government, with a Community Memorials Restoration grant assisting to finance the restoration of the memorial. The original white marble tablets on the eastern face were replaced with replicas in black granite. The tablets and plaques on the other faces were restored and cleaned. The restored Yeppoon War Memorial was unveiled in September 2010. Additional Information The memorial at Yeppoon demonstrates the principal characteristics of a commemorative form erected as an enduring record of this communitys contribution to events of national significance. In Yeppoon, this is achieved through a combination of avenues of trees, the renaming of Anzac Parade, plaques to individuals sacrificed in war and a symbolic monument dedicated to all who enlisted in the Australian armed forces. The Yeppoon War Memorial comprises a series of avenues of trees, located over Anzac Parade, James and Normanby Streets planted in 1921 and 1984, to commemorate the servicemen lost from the local community. The memorial Obelisk, erected in 1952, is located in Beaman Park at the intersection of Normanby and Hill Streets, commemorates all servicemen and women from the Yeppoon district. Together they create an integrated precinct of remembrance for the international conflicts in which Australia participated. Materials, design principles and symbols suggesting permanence, reverence and commemoration were important elements. In Yeppoon, trees symbolising continuing life were planted in 1921, at The Esplanade, James and Normanby Streets, as the original public commemoration. Native Australian Hoop Pines were selected as the preferred tree, suited to the harsh seaside conditions and longevity of up to 700 years making them an ideal choice for a continuing memorial. At this time The Esplanade was renamed Anzac Parade. While the trees in Anzac Parade flourished, those in James Street declined after the 1940s. Most of the memorial plaques for individual lost soldiers located under trees in James Street had disappeared. In 1984, Yeppoon Returned Services League and Livingstone Shire Council cooperated to replace the trees and plaques and to extend the memorial to those who died in World War Two, Korea and Vietnam. Palm Trees were planted in James Street and plaques moulded in brass in the pattern of the originals and set in small concrete cairns honour 29 Yeppoon residents. The Yeppoon War Memorial is situated over three streets and a park in Yeppoon, all located in the central section of the town. The beach foreshore and esplanade, Anzac Parade has a row of mature hoop pines (Araucaria cunninghamii) evenly spaced by approximately two metres. This row extends around the corner into Normanby Street, with four mature hoop pines centre planted into a specially created tree reserve. The avenue continues in Normanby Street between Mary Street and Arthur Street planted in the roadside reserve. A row of Coconut Palm Trees is centre planted in James Street under which small concrete cairns are located. Each cairn carries two brass plaques commemorating an individual serviceman. Two original plaques remain in situ, on a short timber pickets. (Source: Queensland Cultural Heritage Register)