Private Geoffrey O'Shea Memorial Font, Mullumbimby

About

This memorial is a baptisimal font dedicated to Private Geoffrey O'Shea, who died of illness while serving in the Vietnam War. It consists of three sections, the base, pedestal, and bowl, which all have a hexagonal shape. This traditional style is contrasted nicely by the contemporary, light-coloured stone material used in its construction. There is a white marble plaque bearing the dedication to O'Shea on the front face of the bowl and a smaller metal plaque on the top face of the bowl.  Geoffrey O'Shea was born on 18 November 1946 at Southport, Queensland. He enlisted in the Australian Army on 3 December 1963 and was allocated to the Royal Australian Signals. He underwent selection for the Special Air Service (SAS) in 1966, was posted to the SASR on 28 April 1966, and then transferred to the Royal Australian Corps of Signals. As a Signalman, aged 20 years, and a member of the 1st Special Air Service Squadron, he died in South Vietnam from illness on 1 October 1967. He was buried in the Mullumbimby Cemetery. The font is located in St John's Church, Mullumbimby, near the entry doorway. Access to it is restricted to the opening hours of the church.  Source: Special Air Service Historial Foundation website.