Copmanhurst Public School First World War Honor Roll

About

The memorial is an ornate timber honor roll for the First World War. It is made from light and dark maple and features an elegantly carved pediment at the top and columns on each side. The dedication and 23 names are printed on the board in gold lettering. The roll was made by H.H. Sanders Ltd., a long-established furniture company in Grafton, NSW. The Grafton Argus and Clarence River General Advertiser, 26 August 1918, reported the roll was on view in Sanders' window in Prince Street, Grafton. They also published the 20 names inscribed on the roll at the time, indicating three names were added at some later date/s. Mr G.S. Moppett was also identified as a teacher from the school.  The roll was unveiled during the official opening of the new school building on Saturday, 26 October 1918. The Argus, 28 October 1918, described the function in detail, which attracted a large crowd of attendees. Councillor R.H. Davison presided, Inspector of Schools Mr W.T. Fraser officially opened the school and Mrs G.A. Calman of South Grafton unveiled the roll. Mrs Calman was the mother of three "soldier sons" who had all attended the school. Access to the memorial is restricted as it is within school grounds.  Note: Research on individual soldiers was undertaken in the publication: Clarence Valley World War One Volunteers by Tony Morley (Grafton, January 2004).  In addition to this memorial, the parents and children of Copmanhurst School decided to erect a roll of honour in the form of photos of ex-scholars who had enlisted. The unveiling function was held on 24 June 1916, which coincided with the farewell of Mr G S Moppett, the headmaster of Copmanhurst School. The event was presided over by Major G A Blumer, with Sergeant J H Lear, recruiting officer to the Copmanhurst Shire Committee, unveiling the photo-memorial to Sergeant Albert Oswin and the others who had enlisted (Daily Examiner, 26 June 1916). To date (June 2024) the photo-memorial has not been located.