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Delungra Anzac Park and Memorial Gates

Delungra Anzac Park and Memorial Gates
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, surrounded by park
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, close-up of gates
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, right side Australian wall with honour rolls
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, left side New Zealand wall with honour rolls
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, Australia wall, Koolona honour roll
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, Australia wall, Little Plain and Mt Russell honour roll
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, Australia wall, Myall Creek honour roll
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, Australia wall, Graman honour roll
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, Australia wall, Delungra honour roll
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, New Zealand wall, Prebbleton honour roll
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, New Zealand wall, Islington Freezing Works honour roll
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, New Zealand wall, Templeton honour roll
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, New Zealand wall, Horby School honour roll
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Delungra Anzac Park Memorial Gates, New Zealand wall, Halswell honour roll
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Description / Background

Delungra's Anzac Park is located at the corner of Macintyre and Railway Streets. It is a well-maitained community space, which is also used for commemorative services. The park features two war memorials, bench seating, trees and landscaping, and playground equipment.  

Memorial gates

The largest of the two memorials is the decorative gateway, which was built for the 2015 Centenary of ANZAC commemorations. It consists of a metal arch, supported by stone-block columns, with a stone-block wall on the left and right sides. Between the columns is a set of metal gates, featuring the emblem of the Australian Army.

The walls are decorated differently on the front and back (northern) sides. On the front of both is a colourful mural depicting a field of poppies, surrounding the slouch hats worn by Australian and New Zealand soldiers in the First World War. The left wall contains the Australian hat and the right wall has the New Zealand version. The mural was created by artist Lindsay Peacock of nearby Elsmore, NSW (The Inverell Times, 23 April 2015).

The backs of both walls feature honour rolls, printed in blue and black on white panels, which are attached to the stonework. The back of the Australian wall is decorated with the Coat of arms of NSW in full colour. Below this are five rolls of those who served in the war from several small communities in the Delungra district in northern NSW, including Koolona (also spelt Koloona), Little Plain and Mt Russell, Myall Creek, Graman, and Delungra. The names listed from Koolona, Myall Creek, and Graman were sourced from existing memorials (refer to the 'Linked memorials' list below). The Myall Creek roll includes the First and Second World War and the Graman roll also includes those who served in the Malayan Emergency and Vietnam.

The back of the New Zealand wall is dedicated to the New Zealand Paparua Returned and Services' Association. It features their logo in black and the Coat of arms of New Zealand in full colour. It also contains five honour rolls from those listed on the Prebbleton, Islington Freezing Works, Hornby School, Templeton, and Halswell war memorials, which are all located in New Zealand. 

The gates were dedicated on 25 April 2015, at the same time as the upgrade to the park. Directly behind them is a concrete footpath leading to the second memorial on site, the Delungra Second World War, Malaysia and Vietnam War Memorial.

Upgrading the park

The 2015 redevelopment of the park was the result of a successful collaboration between the Delungra community, Inverell Shire Council, and the NSW Government. The Delungra District Development Committee received a grant from the Community Building Partnership Fund to proceed with the project in time for the 2015 Centenary of ANZAC commemorations. The works undertaken were reported in the Inverell Times on 5 February 2015.

In developing and redesigning the park, the committee approached the New Zealand Embassy to seek details of communities similar to Delungra. The embassy supplied the services records of the New Zealanders as listed on the gates. 

The final element of the upgrade commenced in March 2018, when the Lions Club of Inverell began construction of the pedestrian access in Railway Street (The Inverell Times, 5 March 2018).

Inscription

Arch, front 

1915 Anzac Park 2015

Left column, front 

Australia

Right column, front 

New Zealand

Australian wall title

HONOUR ROLL

Australian wall, roll 1

Koolona

1914-1918

[Names]

Australian wall, roll 2

Little Plain &

Mt Russell

1914-1918

[Names]

Australian wall, roll 3

Myall Creek

1914-1918

1914-1918

[Names]

AIF

[Names]

1939-1945

[Name]

(R.A.A.F.)

[Names]

Australian wall, roll 4

Graman

1914-1918

[Names]

Malaya 1950-60

[Name]

Vietnam 1962-72

[Name]

Australian wall, roll 5

Delungra

1914-1918

[Names]

New Zealand wall title

NZ

PAPARUA RETURNED AND SERVICES'

ASSOCIATION

New Zealand wall, roll 1

Prebbleton War Memorial

[Names] 

New Zealand wall, roll 2

Islington Freezing Works War Memorial

[Names] 

New Zealand wall, roll 3

Templeton War Memorial

[Names] 

New Zealand wall, roll 4

Hornby School War Memorial

[Names] 

New Zealand wall, roll 5

Halswell War Memorial

[Names] 

Veterans listed on this memorial

Veterans listed on this memorial

Last held rank Given name Family name Conflict/s Service No. Service Campaign Read more
Private Leonard Sherring First World War, 1914–18 6/140 view
Private Frederick Simpson First World War, 1914–18 3505 Australian Army - First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) view
J Skelton First World War, 1914–18 view
Private Richard Sleeman First World War, 1914–18 5773 Australian Army - First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) view
Lance Corporal Frank Smith First World War, 1914–18 39109 view
Private David Smith First World War, 1914–18 726 Australian Army - First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) view
Chaplain Peter Smith First World War, 1914–18 Australian Army - First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) view
Private Sydney Smith First World War, 1914–18 1546 Australian Army - First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) view
Chaplain P A Smith First World War, 1914–18 Australian Army - First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) view
Private Archie Smith First World War, 1914–18 2641 Australian Army - First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) view

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Address
Delungra Anzac Park
Cnr Macintyre and Railway Streets
Delungra NSW 2403
Local Government Area
Inverell Shire
Setting
Garden/park
Location status
Original location
Memorial type
Garden/park
Gate/lychgate
Recorded by
Graham Wilson
Dedication date
25 April 2015
Conflict/s
First World War, 1914–18
Second World War, 1939–45
Malayan Emergency, 1950–60
Vietnam War, 1962–75
Materials
Other stone