Blakebrook Public School Great War Honour Roll

Note: This honour roll was temporarily removed from display in 2022 due to flooding in the region. It is awaiting conservation and is not available for viewing. 

This honour roll for the First World War is for ex-pupils of Blakebrook Public School. It is a stately design, made of grey and white marble. It includes three sections, with the centre section featuring a Gothic arch at the top. Positioned under the arch, are the crossed Union Jack and Australian flags. They have been incised into the white marble and blackened. The sections are used to divide up the list of names. The centre is for those who died in the war, the left for men on active service and the right for those who were rejected or demobilised. 

Preparations for the roll were nearing completion in mid-1921. Messrs. Clarke and Birney organised a meeting at the school on 23 July to finalise "matters in connection" with the roll and to form a Parents' and Citizens' Association. That September, W. Birney advertised for the names of all ex-pupils of Blakebrook and the old Terrania Creek School who had "offered their services to their country" to be sent to him (Northern Star, 22 July 1921; 3 September 1921).

The roll was unveiled at the school later that year on 16 December. There was a large crowd in attendance and Mrs Birney, who lost two sons in the war, performed the unveiling. The Northern Star, 21 December 1921, reported on the event and gave this description of the roll:

The memorial is one of Sicilian white marble with Springhall black marble facings, and supported on a white marble plinth, mounted on three white marble corbels.