Valery Second World War Honor Roll, Bellingen

About

This war memorial is a timber honour roll for the Second World War. It is shaped like a heraldic shield and is mounted on a timber backing board. Towards the top of the board is the emblem of the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces, painted in gold.  The memorial lists 11 veterans who served in the war who have a connection to the small rural town of Valery, NSW. Their names are printed in gold in alphabetical order in the centre of the board. However, as the list only includes surnames from C to M, it is possible the roll originally contained one or more additional boards.  Details about the construction or unveiling of the memorial have not been found in local newspaper archives. It is likely it would have been dedicated in the Valery Hall, which was demolished in 1951. It is now located in the Bellingen branch of the Bellingen and Urunga Museums, where it is available for viewing during opening hours. There are a number of similar shields in the museum's collection. It is possible they were made by the Bellingen Furniture Factory, operated by L. McNally and G. Griffiths in Bellingen during the First World War. It specialised in the construction of furniture made from cedar, silky oak, beech, and pine.  Do you know more about this war memorial? Learn how you can contribute to the NSW War Memorials Register.