Tambar Springs Cenotaph

About

The Tambar Springs Cenotaph is a pillar of white Italian Carrara marble, inscribed on its four sides with an honour roll of those who served in the First World War. The pillar's cap is decorated with relief sculptures of a laurel wreath and flowers and its base has relief sculptures of crossed swords. Standing on top of the pillar is a beautiful and realistic sculpture of a youthful soldier, made of the same marble. He is depicted in his infantry uniform, with his head bowed and holding a reversed rifle. The soldier may have been sculpted as a young man because the memorial's principal benefactor lost a son in the war, who was only 17 years old. Planning for the monument was well underway by early 1918, with the names of those who had enlisted from the district being published in the Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative on 14 February.  The memorial was completed by the end of the year and a detailed article appeared in The Scone Advocate on 6 December. The finished piece stood 13 feet and 6 inches tall and included 86 names.  The unveiling ceremony took place on 31 January 1919, and by that stage, five more names had been added to the roll, bringing the total to 91. Mr G. A. Higgins, President of the Liverpool Plains Repatriation Committee, had the honour of performing the unveiling. The Mudgee Guardian, 13 February 1919, reported he stood in for the Hon. W. G. Ashford, M.L.A., who was unavailable due to illness.  The memorial was created by Mr Aslin, a monumental mason from Scone. It was erected at a cost of £400. This included £100 for the purchase of land, fencing, and the original gates and £300 for the erection of the monument, kerbing, railing, and lettering. The memorial remains an important local landmark and was rededicated on 11 November 2003. It is located in a small park on Tambar Street, near the corner of Merrigula Street, where commemorative services are held. Also on site are the Tambar Springs War Memorial Gates.

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