Bellingen War Memorial

About

The Bellingen War Memorial is a light-grey granite obelisk, set on a rectangular plinth of the same material. The plinth is positioned on a stepped platform, also made of the same granite. A brown granite honour roll panel is inset into each of the four sides of the plinth. They are inscribed with the names of those who served in the First and Second World Wars. A black granite panel, dedicated to Sgt. Matthew Raymond Locke M.G. who was killed in action in Afghanistan, is attached below the Second World War panel. The platform is surrounded by a square of paving, which is bordered by 10 dark-grey granite bollards, connected by metal chains. A flagpole is positioned to one side of the memorial, outside the chain fence.  History The original Bellingen War Memorial was built in 1926. It was a tall sandstone column, topped by an orb, positioned on a rectangular plinth. It was surrounded by paving and concrete bollards, as shown in image 11 above. The dedication was performed by Major General Sir Charles Cox on 26 April 1926 (Nambucca and Bellinger News, 7 May 1926).  The memorial has undergone several transformations. Works to renovate it, due to exposure to exhaust fumes and vibration from passing traffic, commenced in 1992. Unfortunately, the column crumbled and collapsed during attempted removal. After discussion between local council, the RSL sub-Branch, and members of the community, it was decided to continue with the new granite plinth, which was planned to support the original column. The plinth was installed in the column's original location on Hyde Street, Bellingen. The original First and Second World War honour roll panels were placed on the new plinth. The obelisk was added in 1993 and the panel for Sgt. Locke in 2008.  The memorial remained located in the middle of a main intersection, surrounded only by the concrete bollards, until 2016–17. At that time, Bellingen Shire Council constructed a small pedestrian island around the memorial. A Community War Memorial Fund grant provided money for refurbishments and interpretive signage, as shown in image 10 above. The old bollards were replaced with the new granite versions, the flagpole was installed, the memorial was cleaned, and the inscribed names repointed. As it stands in 2021, the memorial is surrounded by areas of lawn and paving, for safe and easy access by pedestrians. There are seats and plantings of lavender and rosemary, to provide a quiet space for reflection, and interpretive signage informs visitors of the history of the memorial.