Sherwood Public School and District Great War Honour Roll

About

The Sherwood Public School and District Great War Honour Roll is a pressed metal panel, faced with engraved brass plates. The plates list the names of 28 ex-pupils who served in the war.  The memorial was made by the Wunderlich Company of Sydney, who manufactured many metal honour rolls for the war. Their designs changed overtime, but they usually included the names as attached metal plaques.  The unveiling ceremony took place on 12 November 1919, as part of an event organised to celebrate peace and welcome home four returned soldiers. The day's festivities included games for local children and a banquet lunch in the local hall. Speeches were given by the soldiers, Private Turnbull, Privates William and Robert Dyson, and Driver Frank Secomb, who also received gifts of money.  In the afternoon, the attendees moved to the school, where the grounds had been decorated with flags. Archdeacon Curtis presided over the ceremony and the roll was presented to the school by the Sherwood Knitting Class. Mrs Dyson, who lost two sons in the war, performed the unveiling, and Reverend D. Smith read out the names (Macleay Argus, 14 November 1919). Sherwood opened as a Provisional School in June 1869 and closed as a Public School in February 1968. The memorial is now located in the Kempsey History Museum, where it can be viewed during opening hours.