Rous Mill and District First and Second World Wars Roll of Honor

About

This war memorial is a roll of honor for the First and Second World Wars in the form of a cabinet. It is a solid timber construction, made of red bean and cedar. It has a decorative pediment at the top, featuring a painting of a crown within a stylised version of the Rising Sun emblem of the Australian Imperial Force.  The list of names is printed inside the cabinet. When opened, the two doors reveal two middle panels and two timber wings. Men from the Rous Mill district who served in the First World War are listed on the middle panels. Those who served in the Second World War are listed on the wings. All the text on the memorial is hand-painted in gold.  The cabinet, without the wings, was originally designed by a Rous Mill school teacher, Mr H. Collins. It was built in 1920 by Brown and Jolly Ltd, a furniture and cabinet making company located in Lismore. It was unveiled at the Rous Mill Temperance Hall on 4 February 1920 by Mrs L. Wooten, mother of four enlistees, two of whom had been killed. Mr G. Towner, president of the War Service Committee, occupied the chair. Following the ceremony, the roll was handed to the secretary of the School of Arts on behalf of the committee (Northern Star, 11 February 1920). After the Second World War, the wings were added to the inside of the cabinet. They were designed by R. M. Frederiksen, whose family represented the Rous Mill district and served the country in both wars. The unveiling took place in the memorial room of the Rous Mill School of Arts on 18 July 1948. All current and ex-members of the services, relatives and friends were invited to attend the event by the President, C. E. Lumley. The Northern Star, 27 July 1948, described the well-attended ceremony in detail. Mrs Harold Townsend unveiled the memorial and it was dedicated by Reverend Robison, who also gave an address. Mr B. Daley, President of the Alstonville RSL, spoke on behalf of the Diggers of Alstonville and district and Mr R. V. Robinson gave a brief report on the Alstonville War Service Branch. The day concluded with an afternoon tea on the Methodist Church grounds.  The memorial is located in the Rous Mill and District Memorial Hall. It is available to view during opening hours. Some of the veterans listed on this memorial are also on the Rous Mill and District First and Second World Wars Memorial Tablet, which is also inside the hall.