Eungai Creek Cemetery First World War Memorial

About

The memorial is a small garden located at the front of the Eungai Creek Cemetery. The simple garden is enclosed by a timber frame within which is planted a single rosemary plant. In the centre of the garden is a flagpole with three bronze plaques mounted individually on concrete contained within the garden. The first plaque is dedicated to the centenary, in 2014, of the outbreak of the First World War. The dedication and commemoration are written in raised gold lettering on the plaque with the emblem of the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal Australian Navy and the Merchant Navy contained in each corner. The plaque was installed as part of a 'Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grant' awarded in 2014. The second plaque is dedicated to members from the Macksville RSL sub-Branch who have died in conflict. The plaque is bordered by a simple raised frame with the RSL emblem positioned at the top and the dedication written below in raised bronze lettering The third plaque is dedicated to Private Robert Charles Channells, from Eungai, who lost his life during the Great War. Channells enlisted in the 2nd Battalion on 15 September 1915 aged 22. His unit embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A7 Medic on 30 December 1915. As a Private in the 45th Battalion he was killed in action on 7 August 1916 at Pozieres, Somme Sector in France. There is no known grave and he is commemorated on the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France. A detailed account of his military service has been recorded in the publication Nambucca Anzacs by Trevor G Lynch (Longueville Media, 2013).

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