Yamba Cenotaph

About

The Yamba Cenotaph is a concrete column, surmounted by an orb. The column is positioned on a pedestal, which has several levels. The whole structure stands atop a two-step platform. There are 12 marble plaques attached to the sides of the pedestal. Eight of these carry the names of those from the local area who served in the First and Second World Wars, while two carry the dedications for these wars. The final two marble plaques are for those who served in Korea, South East Asia, and Vietnam. A bronze plaque dedicated to Korea is also attached to the pedestal.  The memorial is surrounded by a fence and accompanied by a flagpole situated next to the kerb. The fence consists of eight brick pillars, which are joined by pipe railings. The memorial and pillars are all painted white. The rendering and painting of the pillars and platform was undertaken in 2020–2021, with the support of a Community War Memorials Fund grant from the NSW Government.  The cenotaph unveiling took place on 11 August 1923, and was attended by a large audience. The details of the ceremony were reported in the The Daily Examiner (Grafton), 14 August 1923, which also listed the names of those who served in the Great War. The chair of proceedings, Mr D Tulloch, was joined by Councillor J Parsons, Harwood Shire President, who unveiled the monument, and speeches were made by members of the clergy. A machine gun was mounted on the base of the monument facing the street (which is now absent). Set into the pebblecrete paving at the base of the cenotaph is a small cement block, which is imprinted with two small hands and two small feet, alongside the words 'They Died That They May Live'. The tablet honours the five fathers who died while in service in the Second World War. The imprints belong to Stanley McDermid, the only son of Keith McDermid, one of the five fallen veterans. Stanley is representing the youth of Yamba. The cement work for the tablet was produced by Mr Rutledge, from the Pilot Station. This unique memorial was unveiled on 2 January 1949 (The Daily Examiner, 4 January 1949) with the dedication and address performed by Captain J A Grant. On the exterior of the memorial fence are five military emblems. Three are situated at the front of the memorial, representing the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, and Australian Merchant Navy, with two emblems representing the Royal Australian Air Force, and Australian Women's Services placed either side of the entrance to the cenotaph on the third side.  Various commemorative services are held at the memorial each year. The Yamba Australia Remembers Memorial is also located nearby.